From the Kremlin

[Cosmos]

I just got lucky and could temporarily access "en.kremlin.ru"!

Some of what follows was posted already, but since I suspect that the transcripts from the kremlin are the most accurate translations, I will post it here too. For the archives, I'll copy/paste it below. In chronological order:

Vladimir Putin answered media questions​

The President took a number of questions from reporters about recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics.

February 22, 2022
19:40
The Kremlin, Moscow

"Pavel Zarubin: Pavel Zarubin, Rossiya TV Channel.

Your decisions and statements yesterday have certainly evoked a stormy international response, a real uproar.

And, of course, there is a lot of speculation about how Putin allegedly wants to restore Russia to the borders of the Russian Empire. You have already said that this is not the case but in what borders have the DPR and the LPR been recognised? After all, Donetsk and Lugansk regions are large and Russian people live there as well.

And a question that suggests itself: what will happen with the Minsk agreements now? Russia has insisted on their implementation for seven years now.

And, of course, I have to ask you to comment on the latest news. The Federation Council has just approved your request to deploy the Armed Forces of Russia abroad. What can you tell us about this? How big could this operation get?

Thank you very much.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Deploying the Armed Forces abroad. Second, the borders of the DPR and the LPR, and the Russian Empire, right?

Pavel Zarubin: And the Minsk agreements. What will happen with them now?

Vladimir Putin: Let us start with the Minsk agreements – the Minsk Package of Measures to settle the situation in southeastern Ukraine. That is what they are called.

It is not seven but almost eight full years that we have been working on this. By “we”, I mean Russia, and yours truly was the author of these documents. Therefore, I would like to emphasise again that we were interested in seeing this package of measures implemented, because it was the result of a compromise.

The leaders of the two then unrecognised republics signed these documents. Incidentally, one of them was killed in a terrorist act. He was killed by the special services of Ukraine, an agent of these services. There is no question here. This is an obvious thing, simply an outright political assassination.

But what matters is that the leaders of the two republics signed these documents. We managed to broker this compromise at that time. By the way, it was not easy to do this because initially the leaders of these entities did not want to take part in the Minsk agreements and to sign their names to these documents. But a compromise was reached nonetheless, which was real progress towards achieving a settlement by peaceful means.

As it was said yesterday during the Security Council meeting, over all these years, the efforts of the current Kiev authorities reduced it all to naught. So, the Minsk agreements were dead long before yesterday’s recognition of the people’s republics of Donbass. They were killed not by us and not by the representatives of these republics, but by the current Kiev authorities.

In fact, yesterday's event – the recognition of these republics – was dictated precisely by the fact that the Ukrainian leadership had publicly declared that they were not going to abide by these agreements. Not going to abide by them. Well, what else can you say to that? The top officials have publicly said so.

What more is there to wait for? Should we wait for this abuse of people to continue, this genocide of the almost four million people who live in these territories? It is unbearable to watch. You can see for yourself what is going on there. Well, how can you continue to put up with that? As a matter of fact, that is all there is to it.

When we spoke to our European colleagues, they all said the same thing: “Yes, this is the way forward,” but in reality they were unable to force their partners in the current leadership in Kiev to do so. So, we were compelled to take this decision and, in this sense, indeed, the Minsk agreements do not exist anymore. Why abide by them if we have recognised the independence of these entities?

With regard to the borders within which we will recognise these republics, we did recognise them, which means we recognised their foundational documents, including the Constitution, and the Constitution stipulates their borders within the Donetsk and Lugansk regions at the time when they were part of Ukraine. But we expect, and I want to emphasise this, that all disputes will be resolved during talks between the current Kiev authorities and the leaders of these republics. Unfortunately, at this point in time, we realise that it is impossible to do so, since hostilities are still ongoing and, moreover, they are showing signs of escalating. But I hope this is how it will turn out in the future.

Regarding the use of the Armed Forces abroad. Well, of course. By all means. We signed treaties yesterday, and these treaties with the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic contain relevant clauses that say that we will provide these republics with appropriate assistance, including military. Since there is an ongoing conflict there, we make it clear by this decision that, if need be, we plan to fulfill our obligations.

Please, go ahead.

Veronika Ichyotkina: Good afternoon. TASS news agency. A question about Donbass as well.

Obviously, Ukraine cannot or does not want to recognise the sovereignty of the DPR and the LPR, and they are certainly unhappy about our decision to recognise the sovereignty of the republics.

After what happened yesterday and today, do you see any prospects for improving relations between Moscow and Kiev? If so, what should Moscow and Kiev do to make it happen? Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: You know, we discussed these issues with our European partners during our talks and meetings for many hours. In fact, we also spoke with the Americans about these issues more than once.

I think this was not said in public, but I will say it. Naturally, this question suggests itself: what should both sides, or Kiev do for the situation to be considered settled in the long-term historical perspective so that we could live in peace and there would be no conflicts, to say nothing of armed conflicts?

I will reveal this dark secret to you. Ultimately, there is nothing secret about this. The first thing that everyone should do is to recognise the will of the people who live in Sevastopol and in Crimea. I have said this many times but I want to stress it again. In what way was this expression of popular will any worse than what happened in Kosovo? In no way. It is just that their decisions were made by parliament and ours at a nationwide referendum.

I would like to emphasise once again: nobody could have herded people into polling stations with machineguns or bayonets. They came there of their own free will and made their decision to reunite with Russia. This decision must be respected. If those countries that argue against it consider themselves democracies, they must recognise it eventually. A referendum is the highest form of democracy. This is my first point.

The second. We have spoken about this publicly many times and, in effect, this is the subject of our sharpest dispute with Washington and NATO. We are categorically opposed to Ukraine joining NATO because this poses a threat to us and we have arguments to support this. I have repeatedly spoken about it in this hall.

On this point, of course, we are proceeding from what many people are saying, including in the capitals of Western countries, I mean that the best decision would be for our colleagues in the Western countries not to lose face, so to say, and for Kiev itself to refuse to join NATO. In effect, in so doing, they would translate the idea of neutrality into life. This is my second point.

My third point, unfortunately, is not relevant any longer. I have always said that the Donbass issue had to be resolved through peace talks and implementation of the Minsk agreements.

Finally, the all-important fourth point. Everything mentioned so far could be upset in a second if our so-called partners continue to pump the current Kiev authorities full of modern types of weapons. Therefore, the most important point is the demilitarisation, to a certain extent, of today’s Ukraine because it is the only factor that can be objectively controlled, monitored and responded to.

Everything else can change completely in either direction overnight, the way, for example, the current Ukrainian leader made the previous leader persona non grata by initiating criminal proceedings against him for his allegedly treacherous actions, because he disapproved of the Minsk agreements.

These potential agreements, which I have just mentioned, could be repudiated the same way, if they were to be approved by the current leadership. He would just leave for Washington, Paris or Berlin and that’s it, while we would be left with an “anti-Russia” armed to the teeth. This is totally unacceptable, particularly now, after Ukraine’s current authorities have declared their nuclear ambitions.

Please, go ahead.

Alexander Yunashev: Alexander Yunashev, Life.

Mr President, yesterday, in your address to the Russian people you cited Zelensky, and it seems to be not for the first time, as saying that Ukraine might get nuclear weapons again and Ukraine might join the nuclear club.

Vladimir Putin: …I just said this.

Alexander Yunashev: Are these just statements or is the threat of nuclear weapons being deployed in Ukraine at our border real?

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: I have just mentioned it. We take it that these words were primarily addressed to us. I want to say that we have heard them. Ever since Soviet times, Ukraine has had fairly broad nuclear competencies, they have several nuclear power units and the nuclear industry is fairly well developed, they have dedicated schools, there is everything there to solve this issue much faster than in those countries which are solving matters from scratch. I will not enumerate them, you know all about it anyway. This is number one.

They only lack one thing – uranium enrichment systems. But this is a matter of technology, it is not unsolvable for Ukraine, it can be remedied quite easily. As to delivery vehicles, I think I already said in yesterday’s address that they have old Soviet-made Tochka-U missiles with a range of 100 plus kilometres, 110 kilometres. This is also not a problem in view of the competencies, say, at Yuzhmash, which used to manufacture intercontinental ballistic missiles for the Soviet Union.

What is the threat to us? The appearance of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine is a strategic threat to us. Because the range can be extended from 110 kilometres to 300, to 500 – and that is it, Moscow will be in the strike zone. This is a strategic threat to us. And that is how we took it. We definitely must and will take it very seriously.

Andrei Kolesnikov: Andrei Kolesnikov, Kommersant newspaper.

Mr President, do you think it is possible in today’s world to resolve problems with force and remain on the side of good? This is my first question.

The second one is more technical, if you will. In your view, how far might troops advance: up to the contact line, to the administrative borders of the DPR and LPR, or somewhere else?

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: First, I did not say our troops would enter right away, after our meeting here. That is first. Second, it is absolutely impossible to predict the detailed path of possible actions. It depends on the concrete situation that is unfolding on the ground, as they say.

Regarding the question if all issues can and must be resolved by force or if it is possible to remain on the side of good. Well, why do you think that good must always be frail and helpless? I do not think that is true. I think good means being able to defend oneself. We will proceed from that.

Thank you. All the best to you."

l

Greetings on Defender of the Fatherland Day​

Vladimir Putin made a video address to congratulate veterans, the military and civilian personnel of the Armed Forces and all citizens of Russia on this holiday.

February 23, 2022
09:00

President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

"Comrade officers, veterans,

Please accept my warmest greetings on this holiday, Defender of the Fatherland Day, which is celebrated all over the country not only by tradition but also by right.

It embodies the feelings of respect our citizens feel for their noble defenders, our pride in all those who served and serve in the Army and the Navy, recognition of their heroic merits to the Fatherland to assert our national interests, sovereignty and independence.

Patriotism and the unity of our nation, the exploits of its devoted sons and daughters have always been the foundation of the martial history of our thousand-year-old country, its glory and victories. We are proud of the many generations of its defenders: the guards of Alexander Nevsky and Dmitry Donskoy, the warriors of Minin and Pozharsky and the heroes of Poltava and Borodino, Stalingrad and the unstoppable assault on Berlin, all those who brought glory to our Fatherland according to the great traditions of our ancestors.

On this day, we have sincere, heart-felt words of gratitude for the Great Patriotic War veterans. We will always remember that you, the valiant generation of victors, crushed Nazism and saved our country and the entire world from this barbaric, merciless force. Your feat is a summit of human history, a great example for all those who are serving today in the Army and the Navy, and protecting Russia from external threats on land, in air and at sea.

Comrade officers,

Ensuring that our country can defend itself remains a primary responsibility of government, and the Armed Forces serve as a reliable guarantee of our national security, the peaceful and orderly lives of our people and Russia’s stable and steady development.

We can see the difficult international situation and the threats posed by current challenges, such as the erosion of the arms control system and NATO’s military activities. And yet, Russia’s appeals to build a system of equal and indivisible security that would reliably defend all countries, remain unanswered.

Our country is always open to a direct and honest dialogue and ready to search for diplomatic solutions to the most complicated issues. But I want to repeat that Russia’s interests and the security of our people are an indisputable priority. So, we will continue to strengthen and modernise our Army and Navy, striving to increase their effectiveness, so they are fitted out with the most cutting-edge equipment.

We have done a lot over the previous years to carry out the quality modernisation of the Armed Forces. They have gained in mobility and acquired new combat experience. During the operation in Syria, they proved in practice that they are capable of accomplishing the most difficult tasks.

The training and coordination of army units and formations have greatly improved. This is clearly shown by snap drills, manoeuvres and regular large-scale military exercises, including jointly with our allies, as well as responsible peacekeeping operations.

We have weapons that are second to none in the world and they are operational. We will continue to develop promising weapon systems, including hypersonic weapons and those based on new physical principles, and expand the use of advanced digital technology and elements of artificial intelligence. Complexes like these are weapons of the future, which can boost the potential of our Armed Forces several-fold.

At the same time, we understand that the most advanced equipment is operated by people. It is very important that they have the latest knowledge and excellent training; however, personal qualities of Russian soldiers, such as patriotism, endurance, selflessness and mutual assistance have always – at all times – been of utmost importance.

The role of a commander in developing these features is indispensable. Our officers are not only the core of our Army and Navy – these people are sincerely devoted to Russia and their military duty. I thank you for your faithful and honest service to our Motherland, for the responsible training of personnel, for fulfilling your duties conscientiously and with ultimate dedication, and holding sacred the spirit and character of the national military school.

Friends,

As Supreme Commander-in-Chief, I have confidence in you, Russian soldiers and officers, in your high professionalism, bravery and reliability, that you will guard the peace of our people, and stand up for the national interests of our great country.

I wish you good health and every success in your service. I want to extend the best wishes to your families and friends.

Again, my sincere greetings to you on this holiday!"

Meeting with Security Council permanent members​

The President held a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council on current issues, via videoconference.

February 25, 2022
17:45
The Kremlin, Moscow

Taking part in the meeting were Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology, and Transport Sergei Ivanov.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

"Good afternoon, colleagues.

Today, we will discuss the course of the special military operation in Ukraine. As expected, the Russian Army’s main armed clashes are taking place not with regular Ukrainian armed forces’ units but with nationalist groups that, as we know, bear direct responsibility for the genocide in Donbass and the spilled blood of the citizens of the people’s republics.

Besides, the nationalist elements that infiltrated regular Ukrainian armed forces’ units are not only prompting them to armed resistance but are actually playing the role of anti-retreat units.

Moreover, according to available information, and this is confirmed by objective monitoring – we are seeing this; Banderites and neo-Nazis are putting up heavy weapons, including multiple-rocket launchers, right in the central districts of large cities, including Kiev and Kharkov. They plan to force return fire by Russian strike systems against residential quarters. In effect, they are acting in the same way that terrorists act all over the world – using people as shields in the hope of accusing Russia of civilian casualties.

It is known for a fact that all this is being done on the recommendations of foreign consultants, primarily American advisors.

Once again, I am appealing to the military of the armed forces of Ukraine. Do not allow neo-Nazis and Banderites to use your children, wives and elders as a live shield. Take power into your own hands. It seems it will be easier for us to come to terms with you than with this gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis that have settled in Kiev and that have taken the Ukrainian people hostage.

I would also like to give the highest praise to the actions of Russian soldiers and officers. They are acting courageously, professionally and heroically, fulfilling their combat duty. They are resolving a vital task to ensure the security of our people and our homeland.

<…>"

 

[Cosmos]

Greetings to military personnel and veterans of Special Operations Forces​

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief made a video address to congratulate the military personnel and veterans on the Special Operations Forces on their professional holiday.

February 27, 2022
09:00

President of Russian Vladimir Putin:

"Comrade officers,

Congratulations on your professional holiday, Special Operations Forces Day.

You have demonstrated many times that you are prepared to act with the utmost efficiency and under the harshest conditions to precisely and professionally complete the most difficult and demanding missions. You always perform your military duty to protect your native country and citizens with honour and protect Russia’s national interests.

The heroic traditions of the special forces find their roots in the centuries-long history of our army. They were fortified during the Great Patriotic War, matured and grew even stronger in Afghanistan and many hotbeds, as well as during the elimination of terrorists gangs both in the North Caucuses and in Syria.

You know just how quickly the nature of present-day military conflict is transforming. Special Operations Forces soldiers and their commanders must constantly raise the bar of their professional and combat skills, hone their ability to handle cutting-edge weaponry and military hardware, and of course, keep up with advances in military science in order to always overtake any potential rival in all areas.

I know that you undergo exactly this kind of training – comprehensive, all-encompassing and intensive, a real school of warfare. You strive to follow the best paragons of courage and bravery, true patriotism, and you set an example for new generations of defenders of the Fatherland and pass on your experience to young servicemen.

I want to thank the command and the personnel of the Special Operations Forces as well as special forces veterans for their loyalty to the oath, for their impeccable service to the people of Russia and our great Motherland.

My special appreciation goes to those who are performing their duty in the special operation to render assistance to the people’s republics of Donbass.

I wish you luck, success and all the very best to you and your loved ones."

Meeting with Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov​

Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces – First Deputy Defence Minister Valery Gerasimov.

February 27, 2022
16:05
The Kremlin, Moscow

President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

"Colleagues,

You see that Western countries are not only taking unfriendly economic actions against our country, I mean the illegitimate sanctions of which everyone is well aware, but top officials of the leading NATO countries are indulging in aggressive statements directed at our country.

Therefore, I order the Defence Minister and Chief of the General Staff to put Russian Army’s deterrence forces on high combat alert.

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu: Yes, sir.

Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov: Yes, sir.

<…>"

Meeting with Security Council permanent members​

Vladimir Putin met via videoconference with permanent members of the Security Council.

March 3, 2022
19:50
Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region

Taking part in the meeting were Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chair of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, Minister of the Interior Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

"Comrades,

On February 24 we commenced the special military operation in Ukraine. In achieving its objectives of protecting our people in Donbass and providing for the security of our Motherland, Russian soldiers and officers are acting courageously, like true heroes.

Our servicemen are fighting hard, fully understanding the righteousness of their cause. Soldiers and officers remain in position even after being wounded. They sacrifice themselves, their lives, to save their fellow soldiers and civilians.

Our servicemen and Donbass militia are really displaying mass heroism.

I would distinguish the personnel of the 100th Motorised Rifle Brigade fighting in the Donetsk area. Its servicemen under the command of Colonel Alexey Berngard breached the deeply fortified defenses in the Volnovakhi region that have been strengthened and equipped by the nationalists for almost eight years.

Tank platoon commander Lieutenant of the Guards Viktor Sokolnik destroyed fived tanks in battle.

On February 25, outside of Chuginka, company leader of the 163th armour regiment Captain Alexei Lyovkin came upon nationalist units including 15 tanks and six mechanized infantry combat vehicles. He and his personnel attacked the enemy and destroyed all the MICVs and five tanks, completing the mission without losses.

I have signed an executive order on awarding the title of Hero of Russia to Lieutenant Nurmagomed Gadzhimagomedov, regrettably, posthumously. During a battle he confidently lead his soldiers, taking care of his subordinates as a good commander should. Even when he was seriously wounded, he continued fighting to his last breath, blowing up himself, along with the militants who surrounded him, with a grenade. He did that because he knew who he was dealing with – neo-Nazis who torture and brutally murder prisoners.

I am a Russian. As they say, all my relatives are Ivans and Marias. But when I see heroes like this young man, Nurmagomed Gadzhimagomedov, a resident of Dagestan and an ethnic Lak, and our other soldiers, I can hardly stop myself from saying: I am a Lak, a Dagestani, a Chechen, an Ingush, a Russian, a Tatar, a Jew, a Mordovian, an Ossetian… It is impossible to name all of the more than 300 nationalities and ethnic groups that live in Russia. I think you can understand me. I am proud to be part of this world, part of our powerful and strong multinational people of Russia.

At the same time, I will never abandon my conviction that Russians and Ukrainians are one nation, even though some people in Ukraine have been intimidated, many have been duped by nationalist Nazi propaganda, and some have consciously decided to become followers of Bandera and other Nazi accomplices, who fought on Hitler’s side during the Great Patriotic War.

It is a fact that we are fighting neo-Nazis, which can be seen from the course of the hostilities. The nationalist and neo-Nazi units – and there are foreign mercenaries in them, including from the Middle East – are using peaceful civilians as a human shield. As I have said, there is objective data and photos of how they deploy military equipment in residential districts. They are behaving like this, like outright criminals, and instead of honouring their promise to remove that equipment from residential neighbourhoods, kindergartens and hospitals, they are deploying more tanks, artillery guns and mortar launchers there.

They have also taken foreign nationals hostage, including thousands of young people, students who were receiving an education in Ukraine. For example, they held 3,179 Indian citizens, most of them students, at the railway station in Kharkov for over a day. And they are still holding the majority of them, including 576 in Sumy. The neo-Nazis opened fire on the Chinese students who wanted to leave Kharkov, wounding two of them.

As I have said, hundreds of foreign nationals are trying to leave the combat zones, but they are being prevented from doing so. In fact, they are being held hostage; the hostage-takers are playing for time or are offering them a chance to leave via Lviv or Poland, that is, to cross the combat zone, thereby risking their lives.

Our service personnel have opened corridors in absolutely all conflict areas. They have offered transportation so peaceful civilians and foreign nationals can go to a safe place.

I would like to point out again that the nationalists are preventing them from doing this. Moreover, they are telling foreign nationals to turn to their own authorities, which have to seek the assistance of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. In fact, they are pushing these people into the line of fire.

The nationalists are acting even worse towards their own citizens, their own people. As I said, they are using people as human shields. Our service personnel have reported instances where people in residential buildings in the Donetsk People’s Republic – in Severodonetsk, Lisichansk and other towns – are forced to gather in the middle floors; the windows and walls in the lower floors are broken open to mount heavy weaponry such as cannons, and tanks, and machineguns, and snipers are placed on the roof and on the upper floors.

It is only fascists that did this, they were the ones that treated civilians so inhumanely when Soviet forces were fighting them, including as they were liberating Ukraine.

I would like to repeat that our soldiers and officers are trying to prevent civilian casualties, and regrettably, they are sustaining losses while doing this.

It is our duty to support the families of our dead and wounded comrades, who fight for the security of our Fatherland, for our people, for the people of Russia.

All family members of the servicemen who have perished during this special military operation in Ukraine will be issued a death gratuity and a one-time payment of 7,421,000 rubles. Monthly compensation will also be paid to each family member of the deceased.

In addition, I consider it necessary to approve an additional payment of 5 million rubles to each family of Defence Ministry service members, and service members and other personnel of the other security agencies killed during the operation.

Any service personnel wounded during the operation will be issued benefit payments as well. I am referring to insurance benefits and one-time payments for being wounded, injured or for receiving a concussion.

Wounded contract service personnel found unfit for duty will be issued a one-time payment of 2,968,000 rubles, and a monthly payment in case of permanent disability. All these measures are provided for by law.

At the same time, I believe that an additional payment of 3 million rubles should be stipulated for Defence Ministry service personnel and service members and other personnel of other security agencies who are wounded during the operation.

I would like to emphasise once again that our men and officers are fighting in Ukraine for Russia, for a peaceful life for the citizens of Donbass, and for the denazification and demilitarisation of Ukraine, so that no anti-Russia, which the West has been creating for years right on our border, can threaten us, including with nuclear weapons, as has recently become the case.

Our people are proud of their Armed Forces. We will never forget our comrades who have been killed in action. We will do everything necessary to support their families and children, to give them an education, to support their loved ones.

Let us pay our respects to our soldiers who have died doing their military duty during this special military operation in Ukraine.

(Minute of silence.)

Comrades,

I would like to say that the special military operation is proceeding on schedule and according to plan. All the tasks are being fulfilled. The Defence Minister will report in more detail on this.

Mr Shoigu, please.

<…>"

 

[Cosmos]

Flag-raising ceremony on Marshal Rokossovsky ferry​

The President took part, via videoconference, in the ceremony to raise the national flag of the Russian Federation on the ferry Marshal Rokossovsky.

March 4, 2022
13:55
Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region

The Marshal Rokossovsky is Russia’s first Arc4 ice-class dual-fuel ferry designed to carry railway cars with Russia’s standard gauge of 1,520 mm, as well as highway freighters and passenger cars. The first railway cars will be rolled onto the ferry on March 4, after which it will operate on the Ust-Luga – Baltiysk line.

Using eco-friendly fuel on the ferry will reduce CO2 emissions by 20 to 30 percent compared to similar ships running on traditional heavy fuel, as well as achieve a more than 90 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions and eliminate sulphur oxide and soot emissions altogether.

The flag-raising ceremony took place on the car and auto ferry complex at Ust-Luga, a seaport in the Leningrad Region.

Taking part in the ceremony, also by videoconference from Moscow, were Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev and Russian Railways CEO – Chairman of the Executive Board Oleg Belozerov, while Governor of the Leningrad Region Alexander Drozdenko, General Director of Rosmorport Sergei Pylin and his deputy for fleet management Vasily Strugov, as well as the ferry’s captain Alexander Vangonen joined the event via videoconference from the Leningrad Region, and Governor of the Kaliningrad Region Anton Alikhanov participated from the Kaliningrad Region.

* * *

Speech at the flag-raising ceremony

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends, good afternoon,

I am glad to see all of you.

In just a few minutes, Russia’s state flag will be raised above the new car and auto ferry, named in honour of our great military commander, two-time Hero of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky.

Already today, this state-of-the-art vessel will sail off to the Kaliningrad Region carrying essential goods for its residents, as well as construction materials and other cargo for the key sectors of the region’s economy. The overall shipments between Ust-Luga and Baltiysk will increase more than 1.5-fold to two million tonnes per year. The new ferry will be able to navigate the high seas even in the most challenging weather conditions and sail the winter seas without being accompanied by an icebreaker.

Thanks to the maritime transport of this class, we can guarantee strong reliable connections between Russia’s western outposts and the rest of the country. This means that, no matter what happens, we can ensure decent living conditions for people, opportunities for further improvement of the industrial, social and tourist infrastructure in the Kaliningrad Region, for uninterrupted supplies and the continuous operation of companies and facilities in the region.

I want to thank all those who participated in this extremely important transport project, for their hard work. Resources of the state and the potential of Russia’s leading companies and research institutions that offered advanced technical solutions, including eco-friendly solutions, were focused on this project.

This ferry can operate on LNG or diesel fuel but with high environmental parameters, which should reduce hazardous emissions by more than 90 percent and protect the environment and the waters of the Baltic Sea.

The General Chernyakhovsky ferry, which is currently under construction, also has similar modern characteristics. The Marshal Vasilevsky tanker with gas liquefaction equipment that will provide an autonomous gas supply to Russia’s western outpost, if necessary, is already anchored in the port of Kaliningrad.

It is symbolic that these modern and technology-intensive vessels are named after our outstanding military commanders who liberated our country and the rest of the world from Nazism. For these truly courageous people and true patriots, the independence and sovereignty of our Fatherland mattered more than anything else. They saved and protected our country, showing us, future generations, that we must be strong and keep moving forwards.

No matter how hard and difficult it may be, we will continue our development. We will improve the transport and logistics infrastructure across the entire country and, of course, in the Baltics, on our Arctic territories and the Russian Far East, including the construction of new modern ferries for Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. I am certain that our companies, design and engineering bureaux will be able to fulfil these tasks.

Now I want to pass the floor to Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev who will present a report.
Mr Savelyev, please.

Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev: Thank you.

Mr President, colleagues,

I am happy to salute you at the ceremony of raising the state flag of the Russian Federation on our new ferry, the Marshall Rokossovsky. The launch of a new ferry is a very important, symbolic event for us.

The ferry can carry up to 80 carriages or 78 vehicles. Importantly, the speed of loading it will be four times faster than on existing ferries – as few as five hours instead of 20.

As you have said, Mr President, this year we expect one more ferry of the same class to be completed, which will be named in honour of General Chernyakhovsky. Both ferries will operate on the Ust-Luga – Baltiysk line, thus making the Kaliningrad Region more accessible to transport. Indicatively, in the future, both ferries will be used in the autonomous ship navigation project.

Marine transport is moving ahead in the wake of digitisation. All this is making the process of transport management more efficient. New ferries are yet another step in ensuring reliable transport access to our entire territory. We will continue to further develop marine transport.

I wish success to all my colleagues.

I am grateful for your attention. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you, Mr Savelyev.

Mr Alikhanov, Governor of the Kaliningrad Region. Go ahead, please.

Kaliningrad Region Governor Anton Alikhanov: Mr President, colleagues,

Mr President, I would like to thank you for the attention that you personally devote to issues related to the development of the Kaliningrad Region.

As mentioned earlier, the ferry Marshall Rokossovsky is the first ferry built under the plan for ensuring transport access to the Kaliningrad Region. This plan is aimed at ensuring the transport security of our region.

For our region, ferry transport is the only way of maintaining regular connections with the rest of the Russian Federation, which does not depend on the policy of adjacent states.

The new ferry will substantially improve logistical access to our region under any possible restrictions on passage via the territory of adjacent states. It will remove the risks of the lack of alternative routes for the delivery of socially important and special cargo via the Baltic states.

Mr President, I would like to once again thank you and our colleagues from the Government, who have worked actively on this project.

And of course, we are looking forward to receiving the other new ferry. We are ready to load it with products made in our region for the needs of other regions in the Russian Federation.

Thank you very much. I wish you a safe trip.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Alikhanov, you have mentioned neighbouring countries. I would like to stress once again that we have – we have always said this – no evil intentions with regard to our neighbours. I would like to advise them not to foment tensions either and refrain from introducing restrictions.

We fulfil and will continue to fulfil all our obligations, and we see no need to increase tensions or make our relations worse. All our actions, if they arise, are always taken solely in response to unfriendly actions with respect to the Russian Federation.

I think everyone should give consideration to the need to normalise relations and cooperate in a normal way, to promote relations in a normal way. As for projects like this, they certainly increase logistical independence, and we will continue working on this.

Please, I see that this event is being attended by Mr Belozerov, CEO of Russian Railways, our leading company.

Mr Belozerov, if you have something to add to what has been said by our colleagues, please do.

General Director and Chairman of the Executive Board of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov: Thank you very much.

Mr President, colleagues,

The raising of the Russian Federation state flag on the Marshal Rokossovsky ferry and the commissioning of the ferry is a new qualitative step in the development of the mixed railway-ferry service.

Jointly with the sailors, we are confidently progressing towards the implementation of the plans to ensure our country’s full transport connectivity. In the two months since the start of 2021, the railway-ferry service has grown by one-quarter and we expect a strong increase in the future.

In addition to advanced seaworthiness, the new ferry will create additional opportunities for cutting costs and implementing technological operations. We have always focused on ensuring the reliability and stability of the railway-ferry service and will do so in the future.

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Leningrad Region Governor Drozdenko, please go ahead. One of the points, the point where we are now, the port of Ust-Luga, is located in the Leningrad Region.

Please go ahead.

Governor of the Leningrad Region Alexander Drozdenko: Mr President, colleagues,

For us, the Leningrad Region, it is a great honour to have the Rosmorport-commissioned Marshal Rokossovsky ferry, which is Russia’s first dual-fuel road and rail ferry, and which was built at the Nevsky Shipyard in St Petersburg.

This shows that we can build modern sea vessels and sea ferries. Another ferry, Army General Ivan Chernyakhovsky, is under construction. These ferries will be instrumental in connecting the Leningrad Region, Russia and Kaliningrad. They will provide a reliable transport link.

Good luck.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Drozdenko, we have discussed this issue with you before. Today, I discussed it with the President of Belarus. Our Belarusian friends are interested in having a presence in the Baltic Sea area and are interested in developing their own port facilities.

As you are aware, I support this project, and I asked you to come up with whatever assistance you can provide. This would be various locations, points and structures where our Belarusian friends can pursue these projects. I will not go into detail now as the alternatives vary, and you are aware of this. I would like to revisit this issue later, and I want you to support these plans.

They are important for Belarus, and for us as well, because they involve the expansion of our infrastructure, the development of our coastal areas, and an increase in cargo volume for our country. Accordingly, the benefits derived by Belarus will largely overflow into our economy. We are interested in promoting this project, so I want you to support these undertakings. But this is just a side note.

And now I would like to give the floor to the captain of the Marshal Rokossovsky, Mr Vangonen.
Please, Mr Vangonen.

Captain of the Marshal Rokossovsky vessel Alexander Vangonen: Mr President of the Russian Federation,

The ferry Marshal Rokossovsky has successfully completed its journey from the shipyard to its home port. At this time, the ship is fully ready to begin service on the Ust-Luga – Baltiysk line.

I am asking for your permission to raise the state flag of the Russian Federation.

Vladimir Putin: Permission granted to raise the state flag of the Russian Federation.

Alexander Vangonen: Raise the national flag of the Russian Federation.

(The Russian anthem plays.)

The national flag of the Russian Federation has been raised.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much, Mr Vangonen.

Friends,

I would like to say a few words to conclude this ceremony, the important event we are attending today.

The national flag of Russia has been raised on the Marshal Rokossovsky ferry. I repeat, the ship has been engineered in our design bureaux using innovative domestic technology.

True, it has been an international project that included many of our partners, including some of our foreign partners. We are aware of this, but the innovative solutions used are actually Russian.

We have repeatedly shown and are ready to prove once again that if someone does not want to cooperate with us and they are prepared to harm themselves like this, they will, of course, harm us too, but how? We will just have to shift a few projects to the right a little, gain some additional competencies – just as we have for a number of other projects, for example, in aviation – but we will attain our goals nevertheless, we will solve our problems anyway. And what's more, we will even ultimately benefit from this because, as I said, we will acquire additional competencies. We are capable of solving such problems.

This is how we must implement all our plans for social, economic and infrastructure development – based on the most advanced environmental and technological standards so that our projects and products contribute to high quality of life for the people and the national economy’s resilience against external shock. As I have said, we will certainly resolve these problems.

I would like to wish you all great successes, and to the crew of the Marshal Rokossovsky, successful work.

Thank you all very much. Thank you.

Meeting with female aircrew members of Russian airlines​

Vladimir Putin visited the Aeroflot aviation training centre and met with female aircrew members of Russian airlines.

March 5, 2022
16:35
Moscow Region


Before the meeting, the President inspected flight and emergency rescue simulators at the training centre. They simulate a real-life mid-air environment. The President inspected a cockpit allowing pilots to more effectively control the MC-21 medium-haul narrow-body airliner. He also used a simulator to fly a Sukhoi Superjet 100 airliner in the company of Aeroflot flight detachment commander Maria Kasyanik. Vladimir Putin also visited the unique Water-Land centre, whose specialists train flight crews to deal with emergencies, including water landings, mid-air firefighting operations and evacuating passengers via inflatable ramps.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, friends,

Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev, who headed the Aeroflot Group just recently, has been asking me for quite a while to come here and to see this training and simulator centre. By coincidence, the well-known events are taking place, and March 8 is approaching. Therefore, he and I decided not to put off the visit any further and to see the facilities you have here, to find out how they are used and to evaluate this centre’s prospects.

I should say that all this is quite impressive. Maria Kasyanik has shown me how to control the aircraft, and I moved the joysticks under her guidance. This is really great, all the more so as next-generation simulators are available, the chief has also discussed them, and I have had a look.

But, of course, we should use this opportunity to discuss the sector’s development prospects. We will probably also talk about the current situation because, naturally, it is impossible to avoid it.

First of all, I would like to congratulate you all on the upcoming International Women’s Day and to wish you and your colleagues all the best. I will be able to address all women of Russia a bit later.

But I would like to say that the sector which we are talking about and where you work and with which you are affiliated employs over 70,000 women, including over 200 pilots and co-pilots, as well as flight attendants, of course, who are a special category and caste.

The people in Russia have always treated aviation with great respect and interest, especially for ladies in aviation. I think the first female Russian aviators emerged in the early 20th century, and they won a reputation for themselves during the Great Patriotic War. We know all those famous names of female aviation regiments and their combat record. Today, women work in all positions, including flight controllers, engineers, technicians, and I repeat once again, flight attendants and pilots. On the whole, this is a substantial female force that supplements the aviation sector’s male section.

I think that is all for opening remarks since it would be more useful and to the point if I answer your questions. So, let’s go over to that part now.

Once again, congratulations on the upcoming International Women’s Day.

Remark: Thank you.

Do you have any questions? Or shall we just have some tea?

Maria Kotova: We have questions.

Good afternoon, Mr President,

My name is Maria Kotova. I am the co-pilot of the Airbus A320 airliner operated by Aeroflot.

My question concerns the current situation in Ukraine. We all support your actions and the special operation underway there. Of course, the most important question that, one way or another, each of us has been asking ourselves lately is: why did this special operation begin? Could it not have been avoided?

In our minds, we understand and strongly support your actions, but as women we worry about our families and loved ones who live in Ukraine. We are aware that the civilians are not impacted. But still, we would like you to reassure us: what is in store for us at the end of this road? What is the military operation in Ukraine supposed to end with?

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: I will provide a brief overview and start, as they say in such cases, from the “centre of the field.” I mentioned this at the beginning of the operation and even before this decision was made, which was undoubtedly a difficult decision to make.

What is this about? The fact of the matter is that after the anti-constitutional coup in Ukraine, which was, unfortunately, strongly supported by Western countries… Let us face it. They are not hiding the fact that they spent US$5 billion on it, handing out cookies on Maidan and so on. And then, instead of bringing the situation back on track, even if it spiralled out of control, even if it was what is known as an excessive act – there is such a legal concept, that is, they planned one thing, but did another. Anyway, they could and should have brought this situation back onto the political track. Moreover, right before the coup, three foreign ministers came to Kiev in 2014, signed an agreement with the incumbent authorities and acted as guarantors of these agreements to the effect that the situation would remain within the political track.

Nothing of the kind. They carried out a coup d’état and supported the perpetrators. Then followed the well-known events related to Crimea and southeastern Ukraine, Donbass, whose residents refused to support the coup.

As you know, Crimea made a decision, people came to the referendum and voted to once again become part of the Russian Federation. Naturally, we could not but support this, all the more so since they were threatened by nationalists and neo-Nazis. There is a great deal of evidence that they were right.

Later on, or practically in parallel, events started in Donbass. What was the outcome? People who began to resist these developments were persecuted. The Kiev authorities started conducting military operations on that territory. They conducted two large-scale punitive operations with the use of heavy weapons and combat aircraft. They attacked Donetsk directly with tanks and bombed its squares from aircraft.

Both military campaigns failed. They sustained defeat. This was followed by the emergence of the so-called Minsk Agreements or the Package of Measures, to use its official name. They showed the way to a peaceful settlement of this conflict. And we did everything we could to let the developments follow in this vein to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity and protect the interests of the people who live on these territories.

And what did they demand? Basic things: the right to speak their mother tongue, this is the Russian language, and follow their traditions and culture. There were no special demands. Nothing special.

But no. These territories were put under siege and switched off from the banking system, food supplies and payments of pensions and other benefits. Sometimes, some handouts were thrown in. But to receive those benefits and pensions people had to cross the delimitation line.

Now listen carefully. Maybe this will sound rough but the situation compels me to say such things. You see yourselves that stray dogs attack people in different regions. They injure and even kill people (this is a separate problem and the local authorities must deal with it). Then we see how these dogs are poisoned and shot dead. But, look, people in Donbass are not stray dogs. From 13,000 to 14,000 people have been killed over these years. Over 500 children were killed or mutilated.

But what is most intolerable is that the so-called civilised West preferred to turn a blind eye to these events during all these years. Over eight years!

Moreover, recently the Kiev authorities began to say bluntly that they are not going to fulfil these agreements. They are saying this from TV screens and online. They are saying on the record: “We don’t like them, we won’t do anything.”

Meanwhile, Russia continued to be accused of failing to fulfil these agreements. This is simply nonsense, the theatre of the absurd: the white is called black and the black is called white.

It has been getting worse lately. Suddenly, there has been renewed talk about admitting Ukraine to NATO. Actually, it has been on for a long time, but has intensified lately. Do you understand what this could lead to or even can still lead to? If Ukraine is a NATO country, then in accordance with the North Atlantic Treaty, all other members must support that country in the event of a military conflict.

No one is recognising Crimea as a part of Russia, except for you and me. They carry out military operations in Donbass, and they will also move into Crimea, and we will have to fight with the entire NATO organisation. Do you see what that means?

Are the consequences clear enough? I think that everyone understands.

Now they are talking about gaining a nuclear status, that is, acquiring nuclear weapons. We cannot ignore such things either, especially because we know how the so-called West acts with regard to Russia. First, Ukraine has had nuclear competencies since the Soviet times. As far as enrichment and nuclear materials are concerned, they are capable of launching such projects. They have missile competencies. Suffice it to mention Yuzhmash – it created intercontinental ballistic missile equipment for the Soviet Union. They can boost it and do it. And they will also receive help with that from across the ocean. And then they will say that we do not recognise their nuclear status, that they did it themselves, and they will put these systems under control, and from that moment, from that very second, Russia’s future will change dramatically. From then on, our strategic adversaries would not even need to have intercontinental ballistic missiles. They would be able to keep us at the nuclear gunpoint, and that would be it.

But how can we let this go unnoticed? These are absolutely real threats, not some far-fetched nonsense. And our young men who are fighting there now are giving their lives, they are giving their lives to fight for our future, for the future of our children. This is a completely obvious thing.

People who do not want to understand this, especially among today's leadership, must understand that if they continue to do what they are doing – I have already said this too – they will call into question the very future of Ukrainian statehood. And if this happens, it will be entirely on them.

What is happening now? I have already spoken about the goals we have identified.

The first is to protect the people who live in Donbass, of course. How? By demilitarising and denazifying Ukraine and giving it a neutral status. Why? Because a neutral country will not be planning on joining NATO. Right now, their Constitution says they are planning to join NATO. You understand, they included this in the Constitution.

What is meant by denazification? I have spoken with my Western colleagues about this: “So what? You also have radical nationalists.” Yes, we do, but we do not have people with extreme views in the Government. And everyone admits that they have them. Yes, maybe we have some idiots who are running around with the swastika, but do we support this at the government level? Do we have thousands of people parading with torches in Moscow or in our other regional capitals, with the swastika and with torches, like in the 1930s in Germany? Do we have this? But they do, and they support it. Do we support those who killed Russians, Jews, and Poles during the war? Do we hail them as heroes? But they do.

What is happening now is also very important. Look, foreign citizens have been taken hostage in Sumy and Kharkov – over 6,000 young people, students. They were driven to a railway station and have been kept there for three days. We told everyone about this and sent this information to the current leadership of Ukraine. “Yes, yes, of course, we will deal with it now.” We informed the leaders of major European countries about this. I spoke to them personally. “Yes, yes, we will influence them right now.” We told the UN Secretary-General about this: “Yes, yes, we will settle this problem now.” But nobody is doing anything about it.

They treat even worse those people whom they consider their own citizens. They are simply using them as a human shield.

This is taking place in Mariupol now as we are talking with you. They called us from the government, from Kiev and spoke with our military: “Provide humanitarian corridors so that people can leave.” Of course, our people responded instantly and even suspended hostilities. They looked at what was happening. Nobody was allowed out. Do you understand what they are doing? They do not let anyone leave but are using people as a human shield. Who are they? The neo-Nazis, of course.

We note the presence of militants from the Middle East and some European countries there. We know about them, we hear them in the air. They are using so-called Jihad mobiles – they stuff cars with explosives and drive them towards the troops. But they fail to achieve anything and they won’t reach their aims.

Who are they if not neo-Nazis? It is by these actions that they are destroying their own country and their statehood.

Therefore, one of our key demands is demilitarisation. In other words, we are helping people, residents of Donbass to achieve a neutral status and demilitarisation of the country because we must understand clearly what weapons are there, where they are deployed and who controls them.

Different options are possible here. We are discussing them now, in particular, with representatives of the Kiev government during the talks in Belarus. We are grateful to President Lukashenko for organising this work and helping us conduct them. Our proposals are on the negotiating table. We hope a group of negotiators from Kiev will respond positively to them. This is more or less what I wanted to say. Let’s go on.

Yulia Shvidkaya: Yulia Shvidkaya, co-pilot with Aeroflot Airlines.

Good afternoon, Mr President.

I have a question about the current situation. The thing is that there are so many rumours about the possibility of martial law, the enlistment of volunteers, the call-up of reservists, and that the new conscripts will be sent to Ukraine.

Can you tell us precisely if martial law will be declared and if conscripts will be sent to Ukraine?

Vladimir Putin: Much of what is taking place now, of what we can see and what we come up against are methods of fighting Russia. Incidentally, the sanctions that are imposed on us are like a war. Thankfully, it has not got to that yet.

I think that our so-called partners understand what this can lead to and how much is at stake, despite their reckless statements, for example, like the statement made by the UK Foreign Secretary, when she blurted out that NATO could get involved in the conflict. And we immediately had to take a decision to put our deterrence forces on high alert.

Their reaction was instantaneous: they said that it was a misunderstanding. But nobody rebuffed her (the UK Foreign Secretary is a woman), and nobody has disavowed those statements. They could have told us something like, “You know, it’s her personal opinion, take no notice.” But nobody uttered a single word! What should we think about this? How should we regard it? Of course, we took that statement as a warning and acted accordingly.

And now I will answer your question about volunteers, conscripts, martial law and the like. Under the law, martial law is declared by a Presidential executive order, which should be approved by the Federation Council, in case of foreign aggression, in particular, in the zones of hostilities.

This is not the case now, and I hope it will not come to that. This is the first point.

Second, about the state of alert. There are several options: martial law or the state of alert, which is also declared by a presidential executive order and approved by the Federation Council in case of large-scale internal threats.

There is also the state of emergency. It is usually declared in a specific region or throughout the country in the event of manmade disasters, natural disasters, etc. Thankfully, this is not the case either.

We are not planning to declare a state of alert on the territory of the Russian Federation. There are no such plans and no necessity for this now.

Yes, we see that attempts are being made to stir up our society. Incidentally, this is further proof of what I have said – that we are dealing not with ordinary radicals but with neo-Nazis. Our people can freely express their opinions of what they like or do not like about our actions in Ukraine. But in Ukraine those who express views such as members of the so-called liberal part of our society do are grabbed on the street and shot. We have proof of that. Our security services are collecting this information and will provide it later on. They are simply shot dead. In our country, some of our liberal intellectuals hold protest rallies, but those who say similar things about Russia in Ukraine are simply executed straightaway, without charge or trial.

Now, about the martial law. To reiterate, it is usually imposed in case of an external aggression, a military threat. I hope this will not happen, despite irresponsible statements by certain officials.

We are hearing voices that a no-fly zone should be imposed over Ukraine. It is impossible to do this in Ukraine. It can only be done from the territory of neighbouring states. However, we will consider any move in this direction as participation in the armed conflict of the country from whoseterritory a threat to our servicemen is created. We will consider them participants in hostilities that very second. Their membership in any organisation will not matter then. So, I hope the understanding of this is there and it will not come to this, either.

Only professional servicemen – officers and contract soldiers – are taking part in this operation. There are no conscripts, and we are not planning to get them involved. To reiterate, only men who made a very responsible voluntary choice to take part in this operation and to defend their Motherland are participating in this operation. They are carrying out this mission honourably. In my answer to your first question, I provided the reason why this is so and why we are entitled to say this.

The same applies to those who are called up to the training camps. We do not plan to do this with this category, either. They are regularly called up to training camps. They were called up before and they will be called up afterwards. But we are not going to have this category participate in this conflict, in this operation. We have enough forces and means to address the tasks that we have set for ourselves with the use of the professional army.

By the way, speaking of the operation itself I know there are many speculations about it. Frankly, I have no time to get into that, but they report to me that there is much chitchat about what is going on. All analysts are seeing what is happening, so I will not reveal any secret to you. We could have acted in a variety of ways. We could simply (by the way, this answers your question, in part) help the republics of Donbass right on the line of contact, at the frontline, so to say, and simply reinforce them with our army. But in this case, the other side, I mean reckless support for nationalists and radicals coming from the West, would have provided endless support with the material resources, ammunition, equipment, and so on.

Therefore, our General Staff and the Defence Ministry took a different road. The first thing they did was destroy all the military infrastructure. Not completely but most of it: arms and ammunition depots, aircraft and air defence systems. Destroying air defence systems takes some time (you are civilians, yet you are connected with aviation) – they must be identified and then hit. This work has been practically finished. Hence the demand to impose a no-fly zone. However, doing so would have tremendous and disastrous consequences not only for Europe but also globally. I think those on the other side who are not completely at sea understand that.

That is why we chose that road, and it turned out to be absolutely correct. Our servicemen are working without haste and are doing everything to ensure the safety of civilians. Unfortunately, those bandits, neo-Nazis do not spare people. They shoot dead even their own service personnel who do not want to offer armed resistance. We know about such facts, too. Nationalists, Banderites, neo-Nazis – it is hard to call them anything else – shoot their own servicemen. These nationalists were put in nearly every military unit, up to several dozen in each, and they act in exactly that cruel way.

But I repeat that we are not engaging and are not going to engage conscripts or reservists in this military operation. I presume that our army will fulfil all the tasks it is facing, and I do not have the slightest doubt about that. The very course of the operation proves that. It is going according to schedule, and everything is being done according to the General Staff’s plan.

As for volunteers and those young people who come to military recruiting stations, we are grateful to them for this patriotic impulse and the desire to support the country and the Armed Forces. The very fact of their coming does matters, for sure. However, their assistance is not needed for now, and I believe it will not be needed.

I am turning to the cameras so that they will see and hear me say, “Thank you.”

Let us proceed.

Kristina Shaposhnikova: Good afternoon, Mr President,

Kristina Shaposhnikova, Aeroflot Airbus A320 pilot.

This question may be of concern to many people: given the economic circumstances, are any measures being taken or planned to support families and socially vulnerable groups, as well as public-sector employees? Probably, many are also interested in whether the private sector will receive any support, since it provides employment and pays salaries.

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: First, we will adjust the social benefits as planned. Pensions and all social benefits will be adjusted.

With regard to the private sector, given the current circumstances, I believe the only way forward is to provide maximum economic freedom to those in business.

We have adopted several decisions in this respect, and the Government is working to expand the list of these support measures. It also includes lifting various restrictions on entrepreneurial activities, in part concerning liberalisation of criminal legislation.

For example, I support the idea – as a matter of fact, this decision has already been adopted – of removing the threat of criminal prosecution for economic crimes, especially if the damage has been paid for. This is my first point.

Second, with regard to tax crimes, indeed, breaking the law is unacceptable, but we agreed that criminal cases in this respect can only be initiated based on materials submitted by the taxation service. We will certainly do this, and we will go down this path.

This is extremely important for people in business. People are aware of it. Frankly, the private sector has been raising these questions for a long time now. I think they will appreciate it accordingly when they hear it.

You had a second question. I jotted it down, but my notes are illegible.

Kristina Shaposhnikova: The question was about supporting families.

Vladimir Putin: Look, we have developed an entire system to support families, especially families with children. We pay benefits for infants to 18 months, then from 18 months to 3 years, and from 3 to 7 years, as well as expectant mothers. Pregnant women facing financial hardship are also supported. Also, support is provided to families with children and single-parent families with children from 8 to 18. Our goal is to develop a single system. Some regions provide support for children 8 to 18, others do not. A federal system is not available yet, either.

Our goal is to develop a unified, clear and harmonious support system for expectant mothers and all children under 18 years of age. We have drafted a plan to do this. Trust me, I discussed this matter with the Government – the social bloc, the Finance Ministry and the Executive Office – this morning. Appropriate measures are being developed – I do not want to get ahead of myself – but I will announce our next steps in building this coordinated system soon.
We will definitely go down this road and put in place a system for supporting families from pregnancy and the birth of a baby to 18 years of age. We will announce the decisions and the steps to be taken along this path soon.

Kristina Shaposhnikova: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Go ahead, please.

Viktoria Karptsova: Good afternoon, Mr President.

My name is Viktoria Karptsova. I am a flight attendant with Aeroflot Airlines.

Here is the question I wanted to ask you. The aviation industry has been facing challenges ever since the onset of the pandemic around the world. The number of flights decreased, but in early 2022 there was hope that we would be flying as much as we used to. However, one country after another has closed its airspace to Russian carriers, as we have been learning from the news. Of course, this is a double-edged sword. For example, how can people now fly from London to Tokyo? What a complex issue. Of course, this happened before, back in the Soviet days. However, I wanted to know how long you believe this situation will last?

Vladimir Putin: You see, Viktoria, this does not depend just on us. This depends on those who are doing this. They are hurting themselves. I do not think that they like what they are doing. Their authorities are exerting political pressure on them to take these actions.

Without the trans-Siberian overflights you are referring to, they will have to fly around Siberia, since we are closing our air space to them, meaning that they will need more time to reach their destinations, spend more fuel, which in turn will drive up airfares, and so forth.

I proceed from the premise that this sector will evolve with the overall situation.

As for the pandemic you mentioned, domestic air traffic decreased by 88 percent during the pandemic, while foreign flights were down by 90 percent, with almost all flights cancelled. Overall, we have some experience in dealing with situations like this. That said, last year domestic passenger traffic increased 20 percent compared to the pre-pandemic level. I may not have the exact numbers, but I think passenger traffic reached 87.5 million, which is 20 percent higher than pre-pandemic.

What will we do now? Of course, we will seek to increase domestic traffic. We will operate foreign destinations where they remain open, and we will try to change the situation.

You know, there is of course a negative side to all this, since it creates inconveniences for passengers. Still, there are also advantages in terms of infrastructure development here at home. We will develop the domestic aviation industry, build our own aircraft, including the MC-21, the Il-114–300, Baikal, etc.

We will keep developing our airfields and airports. There is an entire programme for developing the airfield network. I think it includes 57 airfields and 60 various initiatives. What are they? They deal with improving infrastructure in all its aspects, building new runways and so forth. This is what improving the “country’s territorial connectivity” is all about.

There is a lot to be done, but this will be yet another development driver, including in terms of industrial and infrastructure development, just as we created an impetus to develop the agricultural sector some time ago. I think last year we made US$25 billion from agricultural exports. This seemed impossible only a short while ago, but we did it. This is not just about the volume of these exports. We have been able to fully cover the country’s needs in terms of staple food. In this regard, we can say that this was a blessing in disguise, as the saying goes. Make no mistake, we will do the same with aircraft manufacturing and passenger transport.

Yulia Vasilevskaya: Good afternoon, Mr President.

Yulia Vasilevskaya, Aeroflot pilot.

I will start by mentioning the widely popular MC-21 aircraft. It is definitely good, and not in the least inferior to foreign analogues in terms of technical or any other properties. At the same time, the company will not be able to replace Boeing and Airbus overnight. As an Airbus pilot, I am worried about the future of our fleet.

In this regard, I have the following question: how will the aviation industry be operating in the near future when leasing companies want to take our aircraft? I am also concerned about the procurement of important spare parts for the timely maintenance and repair of aircraft in our fleet.

Thanks.

Vladimir Putin: First, there is something I need to establish. You noted that the MC-21 is not inferior to its Western counterparts. It is better in many respects, really better: it has a wider body, more space for middle seat, there is more space for luggage compartments – it is definitely better.

By the way, over the past few years, I believe our competitors, including American ones, have made some really unscrupulous moves. They actually included certain materials – which have nothing to do with the defence industry, they are formally double-purpose, but they have never been used for any double purpose – they included some of those materials on their sanctions lists. Why? Because they had their own products, their aircraft that were clearly inferior to the MC-21 in competitive terms.

We ended up making what they tried to strip us of – we invented our own innovative materials, and they are even better than foreign-made ones. Unfortunately, this led to a slight shift to the right, as they say referring to schedules, that is, our country was behind by about twelve to eighteen months in this respect. But we did it.

We will do the same in other areas. You know the saying: they won’t lock the barn door till after the horse is stolen. This is definitely about us. When we are cornered, we start sweating and achieve what we need to. It was the same with the M-C21. It has a PD-14 engine. Not only is it not inferior [to foreign ones], but it is actually better in many respects. Yes, it will take some more time, a few months, and the aircraft will be propelled by Russian-made engines, and it will be cutting-edge and fully Russian-made.

Leasing companies and spare parts – I am not going to go into detail right now, but your former CEO, now Minister of Transport, has some ideas, and he reports them to me regularly, calls me almost every morning. On the whole, I support these considerations. Let's give him the opportunity to negotiate with his partners. I hope they will agree on things that overlap with their own interests. But I am certain that we will fly.

Yulia Vasilevskaya: Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Do you want to add anything? Go ahead, please.

Natalya Gorbunova: Natalya Gorbunova, Aeroflot flight attendant.

Mr President, now, in this situation, we would really like to help both the country and our industry. We must have more domestic flights. Can you please tell us about the development of regional aviation in the next few years?

Vladimir Putin: You know, and I have already mentioned, that one of our priority goals is to create territorial connections inside the country in several areas. First, this includes domestic airliners starting with the L-410; Il-114–300 with 60 or, I think, 62 seats, and the MC-21. Masha and I have just been to the Sukhoi Superjet-100 cockpit simulator. We will develop all of these. If domestic sourcing for some of them is not complete we will achieve it by any means. This is the first point.

The second component is airports. After all, to fly it is necessary to take off and land. So, we have an extensive programme in this respect and it is underway. By the way, a dozen projects have already been finished, such as modernisation and construction of new runways. We will implement this programme and go further along this road.

A third point – we will, of course, continue subsidising some flights. This includes the Far East and the company operating there – Aurora. This year we have increased subsidies on these routes by five times to 6 billion rubles and will increase it further, if necessary.

So, we will try to avoid situations where people have to fly from one small town to another via Moscow. This is our number one goal. We will work on this consistently, but without haste, and we will certainly resolve it.

Anything else? Go ahead, please.

Galina Kairova: Good afternoon, Mr President.

I am Galina Kairova, an Aeroflot flight training pilot.

All of us were strongly affected by the pandemic. But our aviation has withstood this test and last year domestic air flights even exceeded 2019 levels.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, I said that.

Galina Kairova: And, this was partly due to state support.

Vladimir Putin: Plus 20 percent

Galina Kairova: Yes, this is a lot and enough.

What can we expect now? What should we do next? And how will the state support our industry?

Vladimir Putin: We are starting to go around in circles a bit. I basically already replied to this but will say it again. I have just talked about subsidising these flights, including to the Far East and other areas. We will increase this support and we have already increased it five-fold. We will develop transport infrastructure and manufacture our own aircraft. And, of course we will do all we can to have proper connections between the regions in our country so our people can see it.

It is not just our people that need this, although it is a priority for the economy. This is not just about the transport business but it also concerns the businesspeople you were worried about. It is important to depart and arrive on time. I know when major projects are discussed, specialists always want to know whether they can quickly get to their destination and quickly make it back to Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan or other large cities to resolve some business issues or simply return to their families if they were in the North. So, we will move forward in all of these directions.

I would like to wish you a happy holiday once again and wish you all the best.

Thank you for such a warm reception.

Greetings to Russia’s women on International Women’s Day​

Vladimir Putin congratulated Russia’s women on International Women’s Day.

March 8, 2022
00:00
The Kremlin, Moscow

"Dear women,

March 8 is one of our favourite days. It is filled with the most heart-warming feelings.

I would like to congratulate you on International Women’s Day. I hope that your loved ones will give you heartfelt care and warmth, and that the kindness and sympathy you so generously give to your families, children, grandchildren, colleagues and friends will be returned manyfold.

We are living in a difficult time with global environmental challenges and problems, armed conflicts and the need to protect our people and country, the pandemic and the fight for the lives and health of millions of our people.

But nothing could stop our men, not even during the ordeals of the Great Patriotic War, from saying words of love to their women, and that love was their pillar of support and inspiration.

Today we are saying words of admiration and gratitude to our wives, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters and girlfriends for being so loyal, dependable and supportive in times of trials.

For its part, the state will do everything necessary to support families, which is an unconditional priority for us. Monthly government allowances have already been stipulated for pregnant women and low-income families with children aged through 7 years. In addition, allowances are paid to single parents with children aged 8 to 16 years.

I think that today we should adopt one more decision: to approve allowances for children aged 8 through 16 years in all low-income families, which we must support. This decision will come into effect on April 1, and these families will receive the first payments in May.

Dear women, your tenderness, sympathy and generosity make this world a better and kinder place, and you combine charming tenderness with incredible inner strength.

We know how many women work in hospitals, outpatient clinics and ambulances at all levels, from nurses and orderlies to chief physicians. During the past two years you have been working in extremely difficult conditions, under huge and sometimes unbearable strain, fighting selflessly to save the life and health of every single patient. I would like to express my wholehearted gratitude to you.

We have special words of respect for our women who are doing their duty in the Armed Forces of Russia. Thank you for your loyalty to the Fatherland.

I would like to address the mothers, wives, sisters and fiancées of our men and officers, who are fighting to defend Russia during the special military operation. I know that you are worried about your loved ones. You can be proud of them, just as the whole country is proud and concerned about them.

I would like to emphasise that conscripted service personnel are not and will not be taking part in the fighting. And we are not going to additionally call up reservists.

Only professional military personnel are fulfilling the tasks set to them. I am sure that they will reliably protect the security and peace of the people of Russia.

Today I would like to recall the words written by a woman whom her compatriots described as great and whom people called Mother – Empress Catherine II, whose sculpture stands here, in the Kremlin. She was not a Russian by birth, but she was proud of becoming Russian. Here is what she wrote: “I will defend my homeland with my tongue, with a pen and with a sword for as long as I live.” Today we regard the words “homeland,” “mother” and “beloved” to be of the same magnitude to us. And it will always be so.

Greetings to you on International Women’s Day."

 

[Benjamin]

I just got lucky and could temporarily access "en.kremlin.ru"!

Some of what follows was posted already, but since I suspect that the transcripts from the kremlin are the most accurate translations, I will post it here too. For the archives, I'll copy/paste it below. In chronological order:

Holy carp! I can see Kremlin too! Whhhaaaaattttt? Boy, is it slow, though.

Telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz​

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz.

March 9, 2022
18:40

In the context of developments around the special military operation to protect Donbass, the leaders discussed options for political and diplomatic efforts, in particular the results of the third round of talks between the Russian delegation and representatives of the Kiev authorities.
In addition, special attention was paid to the humanitarian aspects of the situation in Ukraine and the Donbass republics. The President of Russia spoke about measures to organise humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians from areas of clashes and attempts by militants of nationalist groups to prevent the safe evacuation of people.
The leaders agreed to continue contacts at various levels.

Telephone conversation with President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi​

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

March 9, 2022
15:30

The presidents discussed further development of the strategic partnership between Russia and Egypt, including major joint projects in nuclear energy and industrial production. Both parties expressed interest in continuing close cooperation in tourism and agriculture.
At the request of , Vladimir Putin explained the reasons for and goals of the special military operation to protect Donbass and spoke about Russia’s efforts during the talks with Ukrainian representatives. The President of Egypt thanked Russia for the efforts to evacuate Egyptian nationals from the conflict zone.

The presidents agreed to maintain contact at various levels.

 

[Benjamin]

I'm just grabbing:

Telephone conversation with African Union Chairperson, President of Senegal Macky Sall​

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Chairperson of the African Union, President of the Republic of Senegal Macky Sall.

March 9, 2022
13:50

At the request of Macky Sall, Vladimir Putin informed him about the main aspects of the special military operation to protect Donbass with an emphasis on the humanitarian element. In particular, it was stressed that Russian military personnel take every possible measure to safely evacuate foreign citizens.
The leaders reaffirmed that it was important to consistently implement the agreements reached at the first Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi in 2019 and further develop diverse ties between Russia and Africa.
Several topics related to Russian-Senegalese cooperation were also discussed in the context of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, marked this year.

Executive Order on application of special economic measures in foreign economic policy to ensure Russia’s security​

Vladimir Putin signed Executive Order On Application of Special Economic Measures in Foreign Economic Activity to Ensure the Security of the Russian Federation.

March 9, 2022
09:30

In addition to measures provided for by Presidential executive orders No. 79, On Imposing Special Economic Measures in Connection with the Hostile Actions of the United States in League with Other Foreign States and International Organisations of February 28, 2022, and No. 81, On Additional Temporary Economic Measures to Ensure Russia’s Financial Stability of March 1, 2022, in order to ensure the Russian Federation’s security and the smooth functioning of industry, the President resolved to apply the following special economic measures until December 31, 2022:

a) introduce a ban on export outside the territory of the Russian Federation and (or) import into the territory of the Russian Federation of products and (or) commodities in accordance with the lists compiled by the Government of the Russian Federation;

b) introduce a restriction on export outside the territory of the Russian Federation and (or) import into the territory of the Russian Federation of products and (or) commodities in accordance with the lists compiled by the Government of the Russian Federation.

At the same time, these measures shall not apply to products and (or) commodities exported and (or) imported by citizens of the Russian Federation, foreign citizens and stateless persons for personal use.

The Government of the Russian Federation is authorised to determine the details of applying the above measures.

In addition, the Government has been instructed to compile, within two days, the lists of foreign states that are necessary for the application of measures stipulated in this Executive Order.

Telephone conversation with European Council President Charles Michel​

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the European Council Charles Michel.

March 7, 2022
15:30

Vladimir Putin laid out Russia’s position regarding the ongoing military operation to protect the Donbass republics.

The parties had a substantive discussion on the humanitarian aspects of the current situation. Vladimir Putin stressed, in particular, that the Russian military take all possible steps to save civilians’ lives. The main threat is coming from the nationalist formations, which, in fact, use terrorist tactics, hiding behind the civilian population.

The President underscored that the Russian Armed Forces had declared a ceasefire several times so as to evacuate the population along humanitarian corridors. However, Ukrainian nationalist battalions prevented this by resorting to violence against civilians and various provocations. The Russian president urged the EU to make a real contribution to saving lives, to put pressure on the Kiev authorities and make them respect humanitarian law.

Vladimir Putin also gave an assessment of the negotiations with Kiev representatives and reiterated Russia’s demands made earlier.

 

[Benjamin]

Executive Order On Imposing Special Economic Measures in Connection with the Hostile Actions of the United States in League with Other Foreign States and International Organisations​

The President signed Executive Order On Imposing Special Economic Measures in Connection with the Hostile Actions of the United States in League with Other Foreign States and International Organisations.

February 28, 2022
18:20

The Executive Order was signed in connection with the hostile actions undertaken by the United States of America, joined by other foreign states and international organisations, which imposed restrictive measures on citizens of the Russian Federation and Russian legal entities and which are illegal under international law, to protect the national interests of the Russian Federation and in accordance with Federal Law No. 281 FZ On Special Economic Measures and Coercive Measures, dated December 30, 2006; Federal Law No. 390-FZ On Security, dated December 28, 2010; and Federal Law No. 127-FZ On Measures Impacting (Counteracting) the Hostile Actions of the United States of America and Other Foreign States, dated June 4, 2018.

The Executive Order concerns, in part, the mandatory sale of a portion of the foreign currency received by participants in foreign economic activity; prohibition of foreign exchange transactions involving residents providing non-residents with foreign currency under loan agreements; prohibition of residents crediting foreign currency to their accounts opened with banks or organisations abroad, or transferring money without opening a bank account by using electronic payment options provided by foreign payment service providers.
In addition, the Executive Order defines the terms and conditions under which companies may purchase their outstanding shares (except for the acquisition of outstanding shares in order to reduce their total number). The Executive Order also establishes that a public joint stock company that purchases shares issued by it in accordance with this Executive Order is obliged to send a corresponding notification to the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

The Executive Order shall come into force on the day of its official publication.

Executive Order on additional temporary economic measures to ensure Russia’s financial stability​

The President signed the Executive Order On Additional Temporary Economic Measures to Ensure the Financial Stability of the Russian Federation.

March 1, 2022
22:20

In connection with the hostile actions undertaken by the United States of America, joined by other foreign states and international organisations, which imposed restrictive measures on citizens of the Russian Federation and Russian legal entities in contravention of international law, to ensure the national interests of the Russian Federation and maintain its financial stability, in keeping with Federal Law No. 281-FZ On Special Economic Measures and Coercive Measures, dated December 30, 2006; Federal Law No. 390-FZ On Security, dated December 28, 2010; and Federal Law No. 127-FZ On Measures Impacting (Counteracting) the Hostile Actions of the United States of America and Other Foreign States, dated June 4, 2018 the President has resolved to take additional temporary economic measures to ensure the financial stability of the Russian Federation.

In particular, a special procedure for transactions is to come into force on March 2 for foreign nationals who are connected to the states that are undertaking hostile actions towards the Russian Federation and its citizens. The new measures concern transactions to issue ruble credits and loans to these foreign nationals, as well as transactions that result in the transfer of ownership of securities and real estate.

It is further noted that such transactions can be implemented on the basis of permits issued by the government commission on monitoring foreign investment in the Russian Federation.

Furthermore, transactions to purchase securities can be conducted by these individuals during on-exchange trading on the basis of permits issued by the Central Bank by agreement with the Finance Ministry of the Russian Federation that stipulate certain conditions.
In addition, this Executive Order also concerns transactions by nationals of any other foreign state that concern shares or real estate purchased after February 22, 2022 from the nationals of states that are undertaking hostile actions against Russia.
The document also adjusts certain measures stipulated in the Presidential Executive Order No. 79 On Imposing Special Economic Measures in Connection with the Hostile Actions of the United States in League with Other Foreign States and International Organisations, dated February 28, 2022.

In addition, the document introduces a ban on the movement of foreign currency in cash exceeding the equivalent of $10,000 out of the Russian Federation.

 

[Benjamin]

Telephone conversation with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi​

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi.

March 7, 2022
14:20

The leaders continued discussing the situation in connection with the special military operation for the protection of Donbass and, in particular, the evacuation of Indian nationals.

Vladimir Putin informed the Indian Prime Minister that the Russian Armed Forces had declared a ceasefire and opened humanitarian corridors in view of the worsening humanitarian situation. Meanwhile, nationalist formations continue to create obstacles to the peaceful evacuation of civilians, including foreign nationals, from the combat areas by resorting to crude force and various provocations.
He drew attention to the fact that the Indian students, who were held hostage by radicals in Kharkov, managed to leave the city only after strong international pressure was exerted on Kiev. Russian military personnel are doing their best to evacuate Indian citizens from Sumy. Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to the Russian side for the efforts being taken to return his compatriots home.

Vladimir Putin, at the request of the Indian Prime Minister, gave an assessment of the Russian delegation’s series of discussions with Ukrainian representatives, the third round of which is scheduled for today.

Narendra Modi expressed readiness to render any assistance possible to achieve an early resolution of the conflict.

Executive Order awarding title of Hero of Russian Federation to Vladimir Zhoga​

Vladimir Putin signed the Executive Order On Awarding the Title of Hero of the Russian Federation to Vladimir Zhoga.

March 6, 2022
21:00

The title of Hero of the Russian Federation has been awarded to Vladimir Zhoga (posthumously) for acts of heroism and courage while fulfilling his civic duty.

Telephone conversation with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan​

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

March 6, 2022
14:45

Vladimir Putin informed Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the progress of the special military operation to defend Donbass, set forth the underlying approaches and assessments in this context, and outlined the main goals and objectives of the operation. He emphasised that the special operation was proceeding according to plan and within the agreed timeframe.

At the same time, the Russian Armed Forces are making every effort to spare the lives and ensure the safety of civilians and are carrying out pinpoint strikes exclusively at military infrastructure facilities. Against this backdrop, the actions of nationalist and neo-Nazi units, which continue intensive shelling of Donbass and the use of civilians, including foreigners who have actually been taken hostage, as human shields in Ukrainian cities and towns, demonstrate particular cruelty and cynicism.

Russia’s readiness for dialogue with the Ukrainian authorities and with foreign partners to resolve the conflict has been reaffirmed. At the same time, Vladimir Putin underscored the futility of any attempts to drag out the negotiating process, something the Ukrainian security forces are doing to regroup their forces and weapons. In this regard, he emphasised that the special operation can only be suspended if Kiev ceases hostilities and fulfills Russia’s requirements, of which Ukraine is perfectly aware.

The parties expressed hope Ukrainian representatives would show a more constructive approach during the next round of planned negotiations, fully taking into account existing realities.

The Presidents of Russia and Turkey agreed on the importance of maintaining contacts between the two countries’ diplomatic and military agencies. Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia’s readiness to provide all the necessary assistance for the safe evacuation of Turkish citizens from the combat areas.

The parties underlined a mutual commitment to continue mutually beneficial bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

It was revealing that Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a critical assessment of the rampant discrimination campaign against Russian culture and its representatives, which is now gaining momentum in a number of Western states.

The parties agreed to maintain close contacts at various levels.

Telephone conversation with President of France Emmanuel Macron​

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, at the initiative of the French side.

March 6, 2022
16:55

After Emmanuel Macron expressed concern for the safety of nuclear power plants in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin explained in detail about provocations carried out by Ukrainian radical nationalists using sabotage groups in the area of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.

Any attempts to blame the Russian military for this incident are part of a cynical propaganda campaign. Russian troops, in cooperation with a Ukrainian security unit and personnel, continue to ensure the regular operation of the nuclear power plant. Background radiation in the region remains normal. All these facts have been officially confirmed by the IAEA. The physical and nuclear safety of the plant is well protected.

The Russian Armed Forces also control the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. All this is being done in order to rule out any provocations by Ukrainian neo-Nazis or terrorists to avoid catastrophic consequences.

When the President of France mentioned the IAEA Director General’s proposal to hold a trilateral (IAEA-Russia-Ukraine) meeting in the Chernobyl zone to develop a mechanism for ensuring the safety of nuclear facilities in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin commented that he feels it could be a good idea, provided that it be considered whether the meeting should be held via videoconference or in a third country.
The parties also discussed evacuation of the civilian population from the areas of hostilities. Vladimir Putin pointed out that Kiev continues to refuse to act on agreements reached on such an acute humanitarian issue. In particular, despite the “ceasefire regime” announced by the Russian side on March 5 in order to allow civilians and foreign nationals to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha, Ukrainian nationalists have prevented any and all evacuation from these cities and again used the pause in hostilities to replenish their forces and weapons. The President of France was again asked to be more active in persuading the Kiev authorities to comply with the norms of international humanitarian law.

Vladimir Putin also informed the French President about progress in talks between the Russian delegation and Ukrainian representatives. He expressed readiness to continue the dialogue with the understanding that Russia’s unconditional and now widely-distributed demands be fulfilled. It is vital that the Ukrainian side remain serious about agreements crucial to achieving cessation of hostilities.

The parties agreed to maintain further contacts at various levels.

Birthday greetings to Hero of Soviet Union, space pilot Valentina Tereshkova​

Vladimir Putin sent birthday greetings to Hero of the Soviet Union, space pilot Valentina Tereshkova.

March 6, 2022
10:30

The message reads, in part:

“You are known and deeply respected as a courageous strong-willed person with a responsible civil position and proactive attitude. Your professional record, tremendous personal contribution to enhancing the authority of our country as a space power and your meaningful social and legislative activities are a vivid example of honest and selfless service to the Fatherland.”

Valentina Tereshkova was the commander of the Vostok 6 spaceship during a space flight on June 16–19, 1963, in a dual mission with the Vostok 5 spaceship piloted by Valery Bykovsky.

Since 1966, Valentina Tereshkova has been actively engaged in government and public activities. She was a deputy of the State Duma of the sixth and seventh convocations, and has been a deputy of the State Duma of the eighth convocation since September 2021. She has received numerous awards from the USSR, Russia and other countries.

Executive Order on temporary procedure for meeting loan obligations to certain foreign creditors​

Vladimir Putin signed the Executive Order On a Temporary Procedure for Meeting Obligations to Certain Foreign Creditors.

March 5, 2022
22:40

The Executive Order supplements the economic measures introduced by Executive Order No. 79 On Imposing Special Economic Measures in Connection with the Hostile Actions of the United States in League with Other Foreign States and International Organisations of February 28, 2022, and Executive Order No. 81 On Additional Temporary Economic Measures to Ensure Russia’s Financial Stability of March 1, 2022.

The Executive Order introduces a temporary procedure for meeting the obligations of the Russian Federation, Russian constituent entities, municipal entities and residents with respect to loans, borrowings and financial instruments issued by foreign creditors who are foreign entities associated with the countries involved in hostile actions towards the Russian Federation, Russian legal entities and individuals, or entities that are under control of such foreign entities, regardless of their place of incorporation (except for entities registered in the Russian Federation) or principal place of business.

The procedure established by this Executive Order extends to obligations exceeding 10 million rubles per calendar month or exceeding the equivalent of this amount in foreign currency at the official exchange rate of the Russian Central Bank on the first day of each month.

The Russian Government was instructed to identify foreign entities involved in hostile actions towards the Russian Federation, Russian legal entities, and individuals, within two days.

 

[Benjamin]

Executive Order on entering into, residing in, and exiting Russia by foreign nationals from territories of LPR, DPR and Ukraine​

The President signed the Executive Order On Entering the Russian Federation, Residing in the Russian Federation and Exiting from the Russian Federation by Foreign Nationals and Stateless Persons Coming from or Leaving the Territories of the Lugansk People’s Republic, the Donetsk People’s Republic and Ukraine.

March 5, 2022
22:35

The Executive Order was signed to protect the rights and freedoms of humans and citizens, in compliance with the generally recognised principles and rules of international humanitarian law, as well as in accordance with Article 24 parts 1 and 2 of Federal Law No. 114-FZ On Exit from and Entry into the Russian Federation of August 15, 1996.

The Executive Order stipulates that as of March 5, 2022, foreign nationals and stateless persons arriving from the territories of the Lugansk People’s Republic, Donetsk People’s Republic and Ukraine may enter the Russian Federation and exit from the Russian Federation to the countries of their citizenship or permanent residence without obtaining a visa, using their valid identification documents recognised in the Russian Federation as such, as well as expired identification documents. The Executive Order also stipulates that the above stated persons have the right to stay in the Russian Federation for up to 15 days from the date of crossing the state border of the Russian Federation.

The Government of the Russian Federation and the Russian Foreign Ministry were given respective instructions.

Executive Order on additional guarantees to service members, persons serving in Russian National Guard and their families​

The President signed the Executive Order On Additional Social Guarantees to Military Service Members, Persons Serving in the Russian National Guard and Their Families.

March 5, 2022
22:30

The Executive Order was signed to provide additional social support measures to service personnel and officers of the National Guard of the Russian Federation.

According to the Executive Order, in the event of death or injury of a participant of the special operation on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Lugansk People’s Republic and Ukraine, as well as the Syrian Arab Republic, in their line of duty, members of their families will receive one-time benefits. Such benefits will also be paid in the event of injury, post-concussion syndrome, trauma or disability sustained during the operation by members of the military service and officers of the Russian National Guard.

The Government of the Russian Federation was instructed to finance the costs related to fulfilling this Executive Order as prescribed.

Meeting with Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett​

As was mutually agreed, Prime Minister of the State of Israel Naftali Bennett made a brief working visit to Moscow.

March 5, 2022
20:40

The Kremlin, Moscow

Vladimir Putin held talks with Naftali Bennett during which they discussed various aspects of the situation in Ukraine in the context of Russia’s special military operation to protect Donbass.

Introducing criminal liability for public dissemination of deliberately misleading information under the guise of credible reports on the use of Russia’s Armed Forces​

The President signed Federal Law OnAmendmentstotheCriminalCodeoftheRussianFederationandArticles 31 and 151 oftheCriminalProcedureCodeoftheRussianFederation.

March 4, 2022
21:55

The Federal Law imposes criminal liability for public dissemination of deliberately misleading information under the guise of credible reports on the use of the Russian Federation Armed Forces for the purposes of defending the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens and maintaining international peace and security.

The Federal Law imposes criminal liability for public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Russian Federation Armed Forces for the purposes of defending the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, and maintaining international peace and security, including for public appeals to prevent the use of the Russian Federation Armed Forces for the above purposes made by an individual convicted of an administrative offence for similar actions within one year.

Under the Federal Law, criminal liability also extends to appeals to a foreign state, government association or union, or to a government (intergovernmental) institution of a foreign state, government association or union, to impose restrictions that introduce or extend political or economic sanctions against the Russian Federation, citizens of the Russian Federation or Russian legal entities, made by a citizen of the Russian Federation convicted of an administrative offence for similar actions within one year.

 

[Benjamin]

Introducing administrative liability for public actions aimed at discrediting Russia’s Armed Forces​

Vladimir Putin signed Federal Law On Amendments to the Code of on Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation.

March 4, 2022
21:50

In particular, the Federal Law introduces administrative liability for public actions aimed at discrediting the use of the Russian Federation Armed Forces for the purposes of defending the interests of the Russian Federation and its citizens, maintaining international peace and security, including for public appeals to prevent the use of the Russian Federation Armed Forces for the above purposes, unless such actions constitute a criminal offence.

Under the Federal Law, administrative liability also applies to appeals to a foreign state, government association or union, or to a government (intergovernmental) institution of a foreign state, government association or union, to impose restrictive measures that introduce or extend political or economic sanctions against the Russian Federation, citizens of the Russian Federation or Russian legal entities, made by a Russian Federation citizen or a Russian legal entity, unless such actions constitute a criminal offence.

Amendments introduced to legislation expanding the application of sanctions for violating Russian citizens’ rights​

Vladimir Putin signed Federal Law On Amendments to Federal Law On Measures Against Individuals Complicit in Violation of Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms of the Citizens of the Russian Federation, and to Article 27 of the Federal Law On the Procedure to Exit and Enter the Russian Federation.

March 4, 2022
21:45

The Federal Law makes it possible to apply the sanction measures under Articles 1 and 2 of the Federal Law On Measures Against Individuals Complicit in Violation of Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms of the Citizens of the Russian Federation to all foreign nationals and stateless persons, and not to US citizens alone, as current law permits.

Such actions include a ban on entry to the Russian Federation, seizure of financial and other assets on the territory of the Russian Federation, a ban on any transactions with real estate and investments belonging to those citizens (persons), a ban on the disposal of property on the territory of the Russian Federation, suspension of activities of legal entities controlled by those individuals (persons) in the Russian Federation as well as suspension of their powers on board of directors or other management bodies of organisations registered on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz​

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz at the German side’s initiative.

March 4, 2022
18:45

The parties continued to discuss the developments in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin laid out Russia’s principled approaches in the context of the special military operation to protect the residents of Donbass, explaining in detail its objectives that will be achieved without fail.

Olaf Scholtz expressed concern over the active hostilities and reports of the sides’ civilian and military casualties. Vladimir Putin recalled that for eight years, the Western partners shut their eyes to the genocide of people of the Donbass republics perpetrated by the Kiev regime. About 14,000 people, including thousands of children, died as a result. During the special operation, the Russian military are doing all they can to protect civilian lives. Reports of shelling in Kiev and other big cities are crudely fabricated propaganda.

It was emphasised that the main threat is posed by neo-Nazi military units that are committing numerous war crimes. They are using terrorist methods by deploying strike weapons in residential areas and cynically using civilians as cover. The Kiev authorities continue to break their promise to stop the barbarity – the number of such cases has been on the rise in the past few days.

We are increasingly documenting the appearance of mercenaries from third countries, including Albania and Croatia, militants from Kosovo and even jihadists with experience in combat in Syria.

In addition, over 6,000 foreign citizens, mostly students, have essentially been taken hostage and are being used by radicals as the human shield. Attempts to leave the districts controlled by Ukrainian forces are stopped at gunpoint. One recent case that cannot be ignored is the shelling of a foreign student dormitory by the neo-Nazis in the city of Sumy. Some students were wounded.

The collective West prefers to ignore such violations of international humanitarian law, and so the President of Russia urged Olaf Scholz to compel the Kiev authorities to release foreign citizens as soon as possible and organise their safe evacuation.

Vladimir Putin reaffirmed that Russia is open to dialogue with Ukraine as well as all those in Ukraine who want peace, but on the condition that all Russian demands are met. These include a neutral and nuclear-free status for Ukraine, mandatory demilitarisation and denazification of the Ukrainian state, recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea and the sovereignty of the DPR and the LPR within the borders of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.

The hope was expressed that representatives of Kiev will take a reasonable and constructive position at the planned third round of talks.

The President of Russia and the Chancellor of Germany will continue their contacts.

Flag-raising ceremony on Marshal Rokossovsky ferry​

The President took part, via videoconference, in the ceremony to raise the national flag of the Russian Federation on the ferry Marshal Rokossovsky.

March 4, 2022
13:55

Novo-Ogaryovo, Moscow Region

The Marshal Rokossovsky is Russia’s first Arc4 ice-class dual-fuel ferry designed to carry railway cars with Russia’s standard gauge of 1,520 mm, as well as highway freighters and passenger cars. The first railway cars will be rolled onto the ferry on March 4, after which it will operate on the Ust-Luga – Baltiysk line.

Using eco-friendly fuel on the ferry will reduce CO2 emissions by 20 to 30 percent compared to similar ships running on traditional heavy fuel, as well as achieve a more than 90 percent reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions and eliminate sulphur oxide and soot emissions altogether.

The flag-raising ceremony took place on the car and auto ferry complex at Ust-Luga, a seaport in the Leningrad Region.

Taking part in the ceremony, also by videoconference from Moscow, were Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev and Russian Railways CEO – Chairman of the Executive Board Oleg Belozerov, while Governor of the Leningrad Region Alexander Drozdenko, General Director of Rosmorport Sergei Pylin and his deputy for fleet management Vasily Strugov, as well as the ferry’s captain Alexander Vangonen joined the event via videoconference from the Leningrad Region, and Governor of the Kaliningrad Region Anton Alikhanov participated from the Kaliningrad Region.

* * *

Speech at the flag-raising ceremony

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends, good afternoon,

I am glad to see all of you.

In just a few minutes, Russia’s state flag will be raised above the new car and auto ferry, named in honour of our great military commander, two-time Hero of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky.

Already today, this state-of-the-art vessel will sail off to the Kaliningrad Region carrying essential goods for its residents, as well as construction materials and other cargo for the key sectors of the region’s economy. The overall shipments between Ust-Luga and Baltiysk will increase more than 1.5-fold to two million tonnes per year. The new ferry will be able to navigate the high seas even in the most challenging weather conditions and sail the winter seas without being accompanied by an icebreaker.

Thanks to the maritime transport of this class, we can guarantee strong reliable connections between Russia’s western outposts and the rest of the country. This means that, no matter what happens, we can ensure decent living conditions for people, opportunities for further improvement of the industrial, social and tourist infrastructure in the Kaliningrad Region, for uninterrupted supplies and the continuous operation of companies and facilities in the region.

I want to thank all those who participated in this extremely important transport project, for their hard work. Resources of the state and the potential of Russia’s leading companies and research institutions that offered advanced technical solutions, including eco-friendly solutions, were focused on this project.

This ferry can operate on LNG or diesel fuel but with high environmental parameters, which should reduce hazardous emissions by more than 90 percent and protect the environment and the waters of the Baltic Sea.

The General Chernyakhovsky ferry, which is currently under construction, also has similar modern characteristics. The Marshal Vasilevsky tanker with gas liquefaction equipment that will provide an autonomous gas supply to Russia’s western outpost, if necessary, is already anchored in the port of Kaliningrad.

It is symbolic that these modern and technology-intensive vessels are named after our outstanding military commanders who liberated our country and the rest of the world from Nazism. For these truly courageous people and true patriots, the independence and sovereignty of our Fatherland mattered more than anything else. They saved and protected our country, showing us, future generations, that we must be strong and keep moving forwards.

No matter how hard and difficult it may be, we will continue our development. We will improve the transport and logistics infrastructure across the entire country and, of course, in the Baltics, on our Arctic territories and the Russian Far East, including the construction of new modern ferries for Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. I am certain that our companies, design and engineering bureaux will be able to fulfil these tasks.

Now I want to pass the floor to Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev who will present a report.
Mr Savelyev, please.

Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev: Thank you.

Mr President, colleagues,

I am happy to salute you at the ceremony of raising the state flag of the Russian Federation on our new ferry, the Marshall Rokossovsky. The launch of a new ferry is a very important, symbolic event for us.

The ferry can carry up to 80 carriages or 78 vehicles. Importantly, the speed of loading it will be four times faster than on existing ferries – as few as five hours instead of 20.

As you have said, Mr President, this year we expect one more ferry of the same class to be completed, which will be named in honour of General Chernyakhovsky. Both ferries will operate on the Ust-Luga – Baltiysk line, thus making the Kaliningrad Region more accessible to transport. Indicatively, in the future, both ferries will be used in the autonomous ship navigation project.

Marine transport is moving ahead in the wake of digitisation. All this is making the process of transport management more efficient. New ferries are yet another step in ensuring reliable transport access to our entire territory. We will continue to further develop marine transport.

I wish success to all my colleagues.

I am grateful for your attention. Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you, Mr Savelyev.

Mr Alikhanov, Governor of the Kaliningrad Region. Go ahead, please.

Kaliningrad Region Governor Anton Alikhanov: Mr President, colleagues,

Mr President, I would like to thank you for the attention that you personally devote to issues related to the development of the Kaliningrad Region.

As mentioned earlier, the ferry Marshall Rokossovsky is the first ferry built under the plan for ensuring transport access to the Kaliningrad Region. This plan is aimed at ensuring the transport security of our region.

For our region, ferry transport is the only way of maintaining regular connections with the rest of the Russian Federation, which does not depend on the policy of adjacent states.

The new ferry will substantially improve logistical access to our region under any possible restrictions on passage via the territory of adjacent states. It will remove the risks of the lack of alternative routes for the delivery of socially important and special cargo via the Baltic states.

Mr President, I would like to once again thank you and our colleagues from the Government, who have worked actively on this project.
And of course, we are looking forward to receiving the other new ferry. We are ready to load it with products made in our region for the needs of other regions in the Russian Federation.

Thank you very much. I wish you a safe trip.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Alikhanov, you have mentioned neighbouring countries. I would like to stress once again that we have – we have always said this – no evil intentions with regard to our neighbours. I would like to advise them not to foment tensions either and refrain from introducing restrictions.

We fulfil and will continue to fulfil all our obligations, and we see no need to increase tensions or make our relations worse. All our actions, if they arise, are always taken solely in response to unfriendly actions with respect to the Russian Federation.

I think everyone should give consideration to the need to normalise relations and cooperate in a normal way, to promote relations in a normal way. As for projects like this, they certainly increase logistical independence, and we will continue working on this.
Please, I see that this event is being attended by Mr Belozerov, CEO of Russian Railways, our leading company.

Mr Belozerov, if you have something to add to what has been said by our colleagues, please do.

General Director and Chairman of the Executive Board of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov: Thank you very much.

Mr President, colleagues,

The raising of the Russian Federation state flag on the Marshal Rokossovsky ferry and the commissioning of the ferry is a new qualitative step in the development of the mixed railway-ferry service.

Jointly with the sailors, we are confidently progressing towards the implementation of the plans to ensure our country’s full transport connectivity. In the two months since the start of 2021, the railway-ferry service has grown by one-quarter and we expect a strong increase in the future.

In addition to advanced seaworthiness, the new ferry will create additional opportunities for cutting costs and implementing technological operations. We have always focused on ensuring the reliability and stability of the railway-ferry service and will do so in the future.

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Leningrad Region Governor Drozdenko, please go ahead. One of the points, the point where we are now, the port of Ust-Luga, is located in the Leningrad Region.

Please go ahead.

Governor of the Leningrad Region Alexander Drozdenko: Mr President, colleagues,

For us, the Leningrad Region, it is a great honour to have the Rosmorport-commissioned Marshal Rokossovsky ferry, which is Russia’s first dual-fuel road and rail ferry, and which was built at the Nevsky Shipyard in St Petersburg.

This shows that we can build modern sea vessels and sea ferries. Another ferry, Army General Ivan Chernyakhovsky, is under construction. These ferries will be instrumental in connecting the Leningrad Region, Russia and Kaliningrad. They will provide a reliable transport link.

Good luck.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Drozdenko, we have discussed this issue with you before. Today, I discussed it with the President of Belarus. Our Belarusian friends are interested in having a presence in the Baltic Sea area and are interested in developing their own port facilities.
As you are aware, I support this project, and I asked you to come up with whatever assistance you can provide. This would be various locations, points and structures where our Belarusian friends can pursue these projects. I will not go into detail now as the alternatives vary, and you are aware of this. I would like to revisit this issue later, and I want you to support these plans.

They are important for Belarus, and for us as well, because they involve the expansion of our infrastructure, the development of our coastal areas, and an increase in cargo volume for our country. Accordingly, the benefits derived by Belarus will largely overflow into our economy. We are interested in promoting this project, so I want you to support these undertakings. But this is just a side note.
And now I would like to give the floor to the captain of the Marshal Rokossovsky, Mr Vangonen.

Please, Mr Vangonen.

Captain of the Marshal Rokossovsky vessel Alexander Vangonen: Mr President of the Russian Federation,

The ferry Marshal Rokossovsky has successfully completed its journey from the shipyard to its home port. At this time, the ship is fully ready to begin service on the Ust-Luga – Baltiysk line.

I am asking for your permission to raise the state flag of the Russian Federation.

Vladimir Putin: Permission granted to raise the state flag of the Russian Federation.

Alexander Vangonen: Raise the national flag of the Russian Federation.

(The Russian anthem plays.)

The national flag of the Russian Federation has been raised.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much, Mr Vangonen.

Friends,

I would like to say a few words to conclude this ceremony, the important event we are attending today.

The national flag of Russia has been raised on the Marshal Rokossovsky ferry. I repeat, the ship has been engineered in our design bureaux using innovative domestic technology.

True, it has been an international project that included many of our partners, including some of our foreign partners. We are aware of this, but the innovative solutions used are actually Russian.
We have repeatedly shown and are ready to prove once again that if someone does not want to cooperate with us and they are prepared to harm themselves like this, they will, of course, harm us too, but how? We will just have to shift a few projects to the right a little, gain some additional competencies – just as we have for a number of other projects, for example, in aviation – but we will attain our goals nevertheless, we will solve our problems anyway. And what's more, we will even ultimately benefit from this because, as I said, we will acquire additional competencies. We are capable of solving such problems.

This is how we must implement all our plans for social, economic and infrastructure development – based on the most advanced environmental and technological standards so that our projects and products contribute to high quality of life for the people and the national economy’s resilience against external shock. As I have said, we will certainly resolve these problems.

I would like to wish you all great successes, and to the crew of the Marshal Rokossovsky, successful work.

Thank you all very much. Thank you.

Telephone conversation with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko​

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.

March 4, 2022
13:30

The presidents discussed the progress of Russia’s special military operation to protect Donbass civilians. Vladimir Putin pointed out that the tasks of the operation, which is proceeding as planned, are underway and will be fully implemented. The President of Belarus expressed support for Russia.

They also touched upon issues related to the second round of talks between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine, held in Belarus.
It has been agreed to continue contacts.

Meeting with Security Council permanent members​

Vladimir Putin met via videoconference with permanent members of the Security Council.

Taking part in the meeting were Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko, Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Chair of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, Minister of the Interior Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, and Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrades,

On February 24 we commenced the special military operation in Ukraine. In achieving its objectives of protecting our people in Donbass and providing for the security of our Motherland, Russian soldiers and officers are acting courageously, like true heroes.

Our servicemen are fighting hard, fully understanding the righteousness of their cause. Soldiers and officers remain in position even after being wounded. They sacrifice themselves, their lives, to save their fellow soldiers and civilians.

Our servicemen and Donbass militia are really displaying mass heroism.

I would distinguish the personnel of the 100th Motorised Rifle Brigade fighting in the Donetsk area. Its servicemen under the command of Colonel Alexey Berngard breached the deeply fortified defenses in the Volnovakhi region that have been strengthened and equipped by the nationalists for almost eight years.

Tank platoon commander Lieutenant of the Guards Viktor Sokolnik destroyed fived tanks in battle.

On February 25, outside of Chuginka, company leader of the 163th armour regiment Captain Alexei Lyovkin came upon nationalist units including 15 tanks and six mechanized infantry combat vehicles. He and his personnel attacked the enemy and destroyed all the MICVs and five tanks, completing the mission without losses.

I have signed an executive order on awarding the title of Hero of Russia to Lieutenant Nurmagomed Gadzhimagomedov, regrettably, posthumously. During a battle he confidently lead his soldiers, taking care of his subordinates as a good commander should. Even when he was seriously wounded, he continued fighting to his last breath, blowing up himself, along with the militants who surrounded him, with a grenade. He did that because he knew who he was dealing with – neo-Nazis who torture and brutally murder prisoners.

I am a Russian. As they say, all my relatives are Ivans and Marias. But when I see heroes like this young man, Nurmagomed Gadzhimagomedov, a resident of Dagestan and an ethnic Lak, and our other soldiers, I can hardly stop myself from saying: I am a Lak, a Dagestani, a Chechen, an Ingush, a Russian, a Tatar, a Jew, a Mordovian, an Ossetian… It is impossible to name all of the more than 300 nationalities and ethnic groups that live in Russia. I think you can understand me. I am proud to be part of this world, part of our powerful and strong multinational people of Russia.

At the same time, I will never abandon my conviction that Russians and Ukrainians are one nation, even though some people in Ukraine have been intimidated, many have been duped by nationalist Nazi propaganda, and some have consciously decided to become followers of Bandera and other Nazi accomplices, who fought on Hitler’s side during the Great Patriotic War.

It is a fact that we are fighting neo-Nazis, which can be seen from the course of the hostilities. The nationalist and neo-Nazi units – and there are foreign mercenaries in them, including from the Middle East – are using peaceful civilians as a human shield. As I have said, there is objective data and photos of how they deploy military equipment in residential districts. They are behaving like this, like outright criminals, and instead of honouring their promise to remove that equipment from residential neighbourhoods, kindergartens and hospitals, they are deploying more tanks, artillery guns and mortar launchers there.

They have also taken foreign nationals hostage, including thousands of young people, students who were receiving an education in Ukraine. For example, they held 3,179 Indian citizens, most of them students, at the railway station in Kharkov for over a day. And they are still holding the majority of them, including 576 in Sumy. The neo-Nazis opened fire on the Chinese students who wanted to leave Kharkov, wounding two of them.

As I have said, hundreds of foreign nationals are trying to leave the combat zones, but they are being prevented from doing so. In fact, they are being held hostage; the hostage-takers are playing for time or are offering them a chance to leave via Lviv or Poland, that is, to cross the combat zone, thereby risking their lives.

Our service personnel have opened corridors in absolutely all conflict areas. They have offered transportation so peaceful civilians and foreign nationals can go to a safe place.

I would like to point out again that the nationalists are preventing them from doing this. Moreover, they are telling foreign nationals to turn to their own authorities, which have to seek the assistance of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. In fact, they are pushing these people into the line of fire.

The nationalists are acting even worse towards their own citizens, their own people. As I said, they are using people as human shields. Our service personnel have reported instances where people in residential buildings in the Donetsk People’s Republic – in Severodonetsk, Lisichansk and other towns – are forced to gather in the middle floors; the windows and walls in the lower floors are broken open to mount heavy weaponry such as cannons, and tanks, and machineguns, and snipers are placed on the roof and on the upper floors.

It is only fascists that did this, they were the ones that treated civilians so inhumanely when Soviet forces were fighting them, including as they were liberating Ukraine.

I would like to repeat that our soldiers and officers are trying to prevent civilian casualties, and regrettably, they are sustaining losses while doing this.

It is our duty to support the families of our dead and wounded comrades, who fight for the security of our Fatherland, for our people, for the people of Russia.

All family members of the servicemen who have perished during this special military operation in Ukraine will be issued a death gratuity and a one-time payment of 7,421,000 rubles. Monthly compensation will also be paid to each family member of the deceased.

In addition, I consider it necessary to approve an additional payment of 5 million rubles to each family of Defence Ministry service members, and service members and other personnel of the other security agencies killed during the operation.

Any service personnel wounded during the operation will be issued benefit payments as well. I am referring to insurance benefits and one-time payments for being wounded, injured or for receiving a concussion.

Wounded contract service personnel found unfit for duty will be issued a one-time payment of 2,968,000 rubles, and a monthly payment in case of permanent disability. All these measures are provided for by law.

At the same time, I believe that an additional payment of 3 million rubles should be stipulated for Defence Ministry service personnel and service members and other personnel of other security agencies who are wounded during the operation.

I would like to emphasise once again that our men and officers are fighting in Ukraine for Russia, for a peaceful life for the citizens of Donbass, and for the denazification and demilitarisation of Ukraine, so that no anti-Russia, which the West has been creating for years right on our border, can threaten us, including with nuclear weapons, as has recently become the case.

Our people are proud of their Armed Forces. We will never forget our comrades who have been killed in action. We will do everything necessary to support their families and children, to give them an education, to support their loved ones.

Let us pay our respects to our soldiers who have died doing their military duty during this special military operation in Ukraine.

(Minute of silence.)

Comrades,

I would like to say that the special military operation is proceeding on schedule and according to plan. All the tasks are being fulfilled. The Defence Minister will report in more detail on this.

Mr Shoigu, please.

<…>

Telephone conversation with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud​

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

March 3, 2022
19:00

During the conversation, it was noted with satisfaction that OPEC+ member countries are consistently fulfilling their obligations to help ensure stability on the global oil market. Russia and Saudi Arabia will continue to coordinate approaches within this format.

Considering the anti-Russia sanctions introduced by a number of Western countries, Vladimir Putin emphasised that it is unacceptable to politicise issues related to global energy supply and outlined the Russian side’s approaches in the context of the special military operation to protect Donbass.

Mutual interest was expressed in further comprehensive development of the mutually beneficial Russian-Saudi partnership. The leaders agreed to maintain contacts at various levels.

 

[Benjamin]

Telephone conversation with President of France Emmanuel Macron​

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron.

March 3, 2022
15:55

The presidents continued their frank exchange of views on the situation regarding Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin commented in detail on President Macron’s Address to the Nation on the Ukraine War, which he delivered yesterday, disputing many of the points. Thus, Emmanuel Macron described Russia’s statements about fighting Nazism in Ukraine as “lies.” In this connection, the President of Russia provided a well-corroborated explanation regarding the neo-Nazis’ substantial role in the state policy of Kiev. He pointed out that during the special operation to defend Donbass, Russia intends to continue its uncompromising struggle against the militants of the nationalist armed units, who are committing military crimes, including by deploying military equipment in residential areas and using civilians as human shields.

The President of Russia noted that Emmanuel Macron had not mentioned in his address that the Ukrainian leadership had sabotaged the Minsk agreements for the past seven years, or that the Western countries, including France, had done absolutely nothing to make Kiev implement them. Moreover, they had closed their eyes to years of genocide against peaceful civilians in Donbass, which led to numerous casualties and forced hundreds of thousands of people to seek asylum in Russia.

Vladimir Putin put forth the details of Russia’s principled approach and terms in the context of talks with the representatives of Kiev. He reaffirmed that Russia’s priority goals were demilitarisation and a neutral status for Ukraine, so that it would never pose a threat to the Russian Federation.

It was emphasised that the goals of the special military operation would be attained in any case, and that any attempts to play for time by drawing out talks would only result in additional demands to Kiev being included in Russia’s negotiating stance.

Another point the President of Russia emphasised was that the Russian Armed Forces involved in the special operation, which is proceeding according to plan, are doing their utmost to save civilian lives. They are using precision weapons to destroy exclusively military infrastructure. The allegations about missile and bomb attacks on Kiev and other Ukrainian cities are untrue and are elements of the anti-Russia disinformation campaign.

Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia’s readiness for cooperation with its foreign partners to address acute humanitarian problems. He urged the President of France to join the efforts to ensure the safe evacuation of foreign nationals from Ukraine. He mentioned, for example, the large group of Indian students in Kharkov, whom the Ukrainian security services have taken hostage. Emmanuel Macron promised to take the issue up with the Kiev leadership.

It was agreed to continue contacts at various levels on the issues raised during the conversation.

Executive Order on measures to boost IT industry in Russia​

The President signed the Executive Order On Measures to Ensure the Accelerated Development of the IT Industry in the Russian Federation.

March 2, 2022
14:45

In order to ensure faster development of the IT industry, the President instructed the Government of the Russian Federation to allocate funds from the federal budget in annual aid to support promising IT solutions.

The Government was also instructed to allocate funds to accredited organisations involved in the IT industry to improve the living conditions of their workers and raise their salaries; and to ensure that these organisations can be provided with concessional loans at an interest rate under 3 percent for maintaining operations and implementing new projects.

The Government is also to take measures to establish a profit tax rate of 0 percent for accredited organisations until December 31, 2024, and to simplify the hiring of foreign nationals by these organisations and obtaining residence permits for such foreign nationals.

Additionally, the accredited organisations will be eligible for tax concessions and incentives. They will be exempt from tax control, foreign exchange control and other forms of state and municipal control for up to three years. The Executive Order also provides for consolidating and stimulating procurement of critical domestic IT solutions and technologies for state and municipal purposes and specific legal entities, as well as simplifying such procurement.

According to the Executive Order, Russian citizens employed by the accredited organisations will be exempt from compulsory military service until the age of 27, as long as they continue to work for the said organisations.

The Government was instructed to make respective legislative amendments as necessary.

Meeting with President of Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin​

Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin.

March 2, 2022
14:10

The Kremlin, Moscow

In a follow-up to a discussion that began a week ago at Vladimir Putin’s meeting with representatives of big business and also at a meeting on economic issues chaired by the President, they spoke at length about ways to minimise the impact of sanctions on major Russian companies.

Text of meeting (from 1st link in previous article):

Meeting with representatives of Russian business circles​

Vladimir Putin had a meeting with representatives of Russian business community.

February 24, 2022
19:20


President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Colleagues, friends,

Good afternoon.

Unfortunately, our meeting is taking place in unusual conditions, to put it mildly, but we planned it in advance.

Of course, I would like to listen to Mr Shokhin who will tell us about his general considerations.

President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) Alexander Shokhin: Mr President, colleagues,
Obviously, the current geopolitical situation is compelling Russian businesses to operate under difficult conditions, given the various restrictions. However, I would like to confirm that not only the state and the economy in general but also Russian businesses have learned to survive crisis situations. Since 2014, our businesses have learned to adapt to crisis phenomena and even to resolve development objectives.

Incidentally, the COVID-19 pandemic has also provided additional instruments for companies and the Government and for our dialogue with the Government. We worked together to draft anti-crisis measures and systemic steps to improve the business and investment climate.

We are well aware that any new sanctions will be much tougher than the previous restrictions and will affect many sectors: the financial sector, the extractive sectors, deliveries of technological equipment. They will affect certain types of raw materials and components and could upset supply chains, transport and logistics.

Clearly, to dampen the effects of all these restrictions, Russian business, Russian companies will have to work even harder and more effectively to ensure continuing operations of their companies without job cuts, panic buying or price hikes. We will have to focus more on the import substitution strategy and look for new partners in the countries that are ready to cooperate. Of course, much will depend on the timely and successful performance of the Government.

Importantly, it is necessary not only to hedge various risks and minimise the consequences of new rounds of sanctions for the country’s development, but also to stick to the development agenda. We are not forgetting that we must think not only about today but also about tomorrow – you spoke about this in your opening remarks, Mr President.

And so, I would like to make a number of points about possible decisions that, we believe, must be made right away. First, to the extent possible in the current situation, we would like to ensure predictable terms for implementing large investment projects. We are working on this issue in active dialogue with the Government. In part, we are completing the elaboration of a mechanism for agreements on protecting and encouraging investment. I think we will finish this work literally within a month’s time.

I am referring to the so-called formula approach. In some cases, when important parameters of the terms for implementing projects are subject to change, it is indeed necessary to use certain formulas. They do not guarantee stability of all current and future conditions but make them predictable when sanctions act as a trigger and affect inflation, the budget deficit and the ruble exchange rate.

Mr President, we discussed this project with you at the December congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and are now trying to formalise it with the Government, with Mr Andrei Belousov. Importantly, this approach may be applied to other elements of economic policy.

Considering that sanctions may extend the time for implementing investment projects or delay their beginning, we suggest extending the most popular support tools and mechanisms, including corporate programmes for enhancing competitiveness, investment tax deduction and regional investment projects. This would certainly make the terms for implementing all planned corporate projects more predictable.

Considering the sanctions imposed on the sovereign debt, it is necessary to think about additional incentives for private investors’ demand for bonds. Let me recall that over 20 million broker accounts are open in Russia and the number of private investors on the Moscow exchange has exceeded 15 million. I am referring to individual investment accounts. Obviously, the potential domestic financial market, which has been making steady progress in the past few years, will be able to reduce the sting of sanction and create a new opportunity for working with the national debt.

Another area of minimising external financial risks, which is also related to development, is the introduction of effective management of digital financial assets and crypto currencies.

Legislation concerning digital financial assets is basically passed already. We have to fairly quickly introduce certain tax regimes that will not create incentives but rather lift some actually discriminatory conditions for the functioning of these assets as compared to other kinds of financial assets.

As for crypto currency, we support the balanced approach by the Finance Ministry and the Government and suggest that a legislative foundation be drafted promptly for this sector to develop legally.

We generally think it important to continue work and encourage the investment activities of private businesses, but this does not mean extra tax incentives as it is sometimes believed. It is about giving companies an opportunity to pursue their investment projects, including outside the framework of separate legal entities. In fact, it is about giving a clearer formal definition of “a holding company” which Russian legislation lacks. We can also consider the possibility of lifting moratoriums on the development of consolidated groups of taxpayers.

It obviously involves raising the quality of Russian corporate and tax legislation which can, firstly, increase the competitiveness of this legislation but the key is that it will make it possible to answer the question of how much Russian companies really invest, including with their dividends. You have set this task, and I would like our dialogue with the Finance Ministry and the Government to cover these components as well because currently many investment projects financed by dividends are not assessed as part of holding structures’ overall investments.

To conclude, I would like to say that we proceed from the fact that Russia is not closing down, it remains a part of the global economy, so we apparently are not turning away from international agreements on key cooperation issues, in particular, carbon and climate issues.

I think our foreign partners should understand that climate projects are not an area where tough sanctions regimes can be applied because it really concerns the interests of the entire world. I think cooperation in many other areas will proceed in the same way, including international taxation rules.

I generally think that we must do everything to show as clearly as possible that Russia remains a part of the global economy and will not provoke negative global events in world markets, including via response measures.

I have no doubt that we will cope with any external risks and challenges. However, inside the country we must also act effectively and work not only on the agenda for today but also the agenda for tomorrow.

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you.

Here is what I would like to say.

First, this is the main point, so that this is clear. What is happening is a forced measure. There were simply no chances left for taking a different course of action. The security risks that had been created were so high that it was impossible to respond by other means. All attempts had come to nothing. Frankly speaking, I am even surprised – there was not one iota of progress on any issue. I would like to emphasise again that this was a forced measure because risks could have created for us to the extent that it would have been impossible to conceive how our country could even exist in the future. This is the first point.

Second, all of us, including you, understand the kind of world we live in, and we have been getting ready in certain ways for the restrictions and sanctions that are being imposed on us now. Nonetheless, what I am about to say is something that I consider extremely important. I would like to respond to what President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Alexander Shokhin said.

Russia remains part of the world economy, and to the extent that it remains part, we are not going to inflict damage on the system we feel ourselves to be a part of. We are not going to damage the system of the global economy that we are in, to the extent that we are in it. So, I think our partners should understand this and should not try to force us from this system. Nonetheless, restrictions will be imposed, even for political considerations.

In this context, I would like to appeal to you to be understanding of what is going on and cooperate with the Government to find ways to support production, the economy and jobs, though bearing in mind how things are shaping up.

I believe the goal of the Government and the authorities in general in the broadest sense of this word is, of course, to provide you with good conditions and ensure more freedom. There may be only one response – to ensure greater freedom of entrepreneurship, naturally, within a certain framework so that, as our colleagues put it, there is a certain amount of predictability from the Government but we expect predictability from businesses as well.

Obviously, we cannot predict all geopolitical risks but in relations between businesses and the Government, you certainly have the right to expect clear and consistent predictability from the Government. And, the most important point, it is necessary to be in touch at all times, to respond in a nuanced way to everything that is happening and to adjust our joint work whenever necessary.
I would like to thank you for what has been done up to now, even in these rather complicated conditions, and I hope that in the new conditions – although we cannot call them entirely new – but anyway at this stage we will work with the same solidarity and no less effectively.

<…>

Text of meeting (from 2nd link in previous article):

Meeting on economic issues​

The President chaired a meeting on economic issues.

February 28, 2022
15:15

The Kremlin, Moscow


First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov before the meeting on economic issues.

During the meeting, the President instructed banks to retain the interest rates on mortgage loan agreements that were signed before the Central Bank raised its key interest rate to 20 percent.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Kiriyenko, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Presidential Aide Maxim Oreshkin, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: I have invited you to talk about economic and financial matters.

Mr Mishustin and I have discussed this topic ahead of this meeting, having in view, of course, also the sanctions that the so-called Western community – the “empire of lies” as I have referred to it in my remarks – is trying to implement against our country.

Let us begin. The floor is yours, Mr Mishustin.

<…>

Greetings to Mikhail Gorbachev​

Vladimir Putin sent greetings to Mikhail Gorbachev, President of the International Public Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Studies, on his 91st birthday.

March 2, 2022
09:20

The message reads, in part:

“You have lived a great and eventful life, and have rightfully won high prestige and recognition. It is gratifying that your diverse work helps to implement highly needed social, educational and charity projects, and promotes international cultural and humanitarian cooperation.”

On March 2, Mikhail Gorbachev turned 91.

 

[Benjamin]

Amendments to legislative acts enabling prompt redistribution of government funds from the federal, regional and local budgets in 2022​

The President signed Federal Law On Amendments to the Budget Code of the Russian Federation and the Federal Law On Amendments to the Budget Code of the Russian Federation and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation and Introducing Special Rules for Executing Budgets of the Russian Federation Budgetary System in 2022.

March 9, 2022
11:55

The Federal Law provides for the possibility of promptly redistributing government budgetary allocations as part of the execution of the federal, regional and local budgets in 2022 to direct the funds for the implementation of measures to prevent the impact of changes in the geopolitical situation and the deterioration of the economic situation on the development of various economic sectors and the financial sector in Russia, as well as to achieve goals set, respectively, by the Government of the Russian Federation, top regional executive bodies, and local administrations.

In order to mitigate the negative consequences of the restrictive measures being taken and to ensure a balance of the federal budget in the context of high volatility in capital markets, the Federal Law provides for the possibility of using additional federal oil and gas revenues in 2022 to back up government borrowing, fulfil the public regulatory obligations of the Russian Federation, and pay off government debt, as well as to finance other priority measures as decided by the Government of the Russian Federation.

The Budget Code of the Russian Federation now establishes the possibility of using funds from the National Welfare Fund to acquire government securities of the Russian Federation.

Law protecting Russia’s national interests against hostile moves actions by foreign states and international organisations​

The President signed Federal Law On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation.

March 9, 2022
09:00

This Federal Law is aimed at protecting the national interests of the Russian Federation against hostile actions by foreign states and international organisations.

The law stipulates a series of measures to maintain the stability of the Russian economy, including its financial system, as well as socioeconomic measures aimed at ensuring the improvement of social protection of citizens of the Russian Federation.
With this aim in view, the Government of the Russian Federation has been entrusted with additional powers.

In particular, the Government of the Russian Federation will have the power to adopt decisions on the specific features of organising and implementing measures of state and municipal control; on licensing, accreditation, evaluation and state registration, as well as the issuance of other permits established in accordance with Russian Federation legislation; on regulation of labour relations and relations in the sphere of employment; and on establishing the subsistence wage level in the Russian Federation and the minimum wage.

This Federal Law sets out the specific features of legal regulation of the provision of social allowances and pensions, medicines and medical products, as well as ensuring protection of the rights and interests of Russian citizens who were receiving an education abroad and were forced to stop their studies.

In addition, this Federal Law stipulates the norms aimed at supporting citizens of the Russian Federation with obligations under credit (loan) agreements.

Meeting with Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova​

Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova.

March 9, 2022
14:15

The Kremlin, Moscow

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Ms Lvova-Belova, I know that you have drafted proposals on how to further invigorate your work. It goes without saying that your work is one of the most important activities because you deal with matters such as children’s rights.
Please, you have the floor.

Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova: Today, I would like to discuss three matters.
First, I would like to talk about the topical agenda regarding families and children who have been evacuated from Donbass.

Second, I would like to dwell briefly on our achievements over the past four months and to coordinate strategic aspects of our work with you as my immediate superior. I know that we have very little time, and I will therefore keep to the point.

Mr President, please ask me if you need any details. I would be delighted to talk about everything.

Vladimir Putin: All right.

Maria Lvova-Belova: Regarding evacuated residents and families with children, the relevant commissioners have joined the effort. I asked the Emergencies Ministry to have them as part of the regional headquarters. They are now actively involved in accommodating these people, monitoring the situation and working to fulfil individual requests.

Vladimir Putin: Are you talking about regional commissioners?

Maria Lvova-Belova: Regional commissioners.
I hold regular videoconferences, and colleagues join in from various locations, including railway stations and shelters. They respond to individual requests, such as buying eyeglasses for someone or providing medical assistance. This is one aspect of our work.
I have a question I wanted to discuss with you, Mr President. We have 1,090 orphans from various child-care facilities who have arrived. Of course, Russians have big hearts and are already queuing up to take care of these children. What do you think…

Vladimir Putin: Very well.

Maria Lvova-Belova: If you allow me, I would like to continue along these lines. We have already compiled a registry for those who have documents. Some could be put into temporary accommodation, while those with Russian citizenship could settle permanently.

Vladimir Putin: Why only those with Russian citizenship? This must apply regardless of their citizenship.

Maria Lvova-Belova: There are some legal caveats here that need to be addressed.

Vladimir Putin: Just tell me what they are, and we will work to remove these barriers.
We are facing an emergency. I believe that we must focus on the interests of the children rather than think about red tape.

Maria Lvova-Belova: Of course.

Vladimir Putin: Go ahead and tell us about your proposals, and we will amend the laws accordingly. We will ask the State Duma to do its work, and I am certain that its members will support you.

Maria Lvova-Belova: Thank you very much. As for my work, I asked you to give me some time to learn the ropes in this position and get to know what it is all about. I have now learned the ropes and immersed myself in all this, so let me share some takeaways with you.

Regarding requests from citizens, we received three thousand of them, on various topics. It is worth noting that the number of complaints about shortages of places at schools decreased six-fold. This is a substantial improvement. Please accept my gratitude for this on behalf of all the families.

Vladimir Putin: Good.

Maria Lvova-Belova: I decided that in my work, it was essential to hear what children had to say. After all, we are working for them, right? What are their dreams? What do they want?

We have a Children’s Public Council, which represents children from all the regions of Russia, under the aegis of the federal Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights. They are already hard at work and are preparing the first national forum titled We Are Against Bullying. We are proactive in reaching out to NGOs, especially in our everyday work when we need their assistance, here and now.

A parental platform, featuring leading parent organisations and associations, has been established under the Commissioner. I believe that this platform can be used for constructive interaction with the parental community, which is important.

I am paying close attention to interdepartmental cooperation because I understand that there are many overlapping issues. It is very important for us to strengthen this block as much as possible. I am grateful to my colleagues. I have held meetings with all the leaders of relevant ministries and departments, who have given me a warm welcome. We have agreed to cooperate and have already launched these efforts. Together with the Ministry of Education, we have held the first congress of commissioners dedicated to education.

Mr President, so much for our areas of work. There are many current issues, but I believe that we should give priority attention to some of them to ensure the best possible outcome. This is why we have outlined four strategic programmes.

Vladimir Putin: As a starting point, can you list them, please?

Maria Lvova-Belova: Yes, certainly. The first programme is Russia’s Teenagers. It has to do with everything that concerns teenagers, including those from risk groups.

The programme Children in the Family is focused on preventing social orphanhood and on forms of placement for orphans.

The third block, The Country for Children, is about the safety of children and a culture of caring and respect for children, so that our people understand that here there are no somebody else’s children.

And lastly, Life-Long Support is for children with disabilities and family routing, because they should know that we can provide quality support and assistance, that their families and children have a future.

Vladimir Putin: Good, let us talk in greater detail about each of these blocks.

<…>

 

[Benjamin]

Meeting of Council for Interethnic Relations Presidium​

Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Magomedsalam Magomedov chaired a meeting of the Presidential Council for Interethnic Relations Presidium to review the state ethnic policy in 2021, as well as other topical matters.

March 3, 2022
15:00

Moscow

In his opening remarks, Magomedsalam Magomedov said that a sense of civic unity and the mobilisation of Russia’s entire multi-ethnic population had special importance today.

According to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office, members of the Presidential Council for Interethnic Relations understand that it were the missteps and criminal actions committed by the Ukrainian authorities in their ethnic policy which split Ukraine apart. The aggressive policy by the country’s leadership to promote cultural and language discrimination, attempts to assimilate the Russian people by force and the refusal to designate them as an indigenous population, as well as ignoring and undoing the multi-ethnic community which has existed for centuries – all this resulted in disastrous consequences.

Mr Magomedov went on to say that Russia has chosen an entirely different policy on ethnic affairs for itself. In fact, we have constitutionalised that Russia is a historical multi-ethnic union of equal peoples. He emphasised lasting values, such as ethnocultural and language diversity, the equality of all ethnic groups, and guaranteeing human and citizen’s rights and freedoms regardless of race, ethnic background or language.

The meeting participants reviewed the issues pertaining to preparations for a joint meeting of the Council for Interethnic Relations and the Council for Culture and Art, which is scheduled to be chaired by the President. Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova and Head of the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs Igor Barinov delivered reports on this subject.

In addition to this, the Presidium members exchanged views on holding events in 2022 to nominate candidates for the Presidential award for contributions to strengthening the unity of the Russian nation. This award is the highest recognition by the state and society of achievements in strengthening national civic awareness and spiritual unity, bringing harmony to interethnic relations, and promoting ethnocultural diversity among the peoples of Russia. It is awarded by the President of Russia at the proposal of the Council for Interethnic Relations.

Following the meeting, the participants adopted the corresponding resolutions on all issues.

 

[Benjamin]

From the Kremlin this morning. Pretty quiet.

Telephone conversation with President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa​

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa at the South African side’s initiative.

March 10, 2022
15:45

The leaders exchanged congratulations on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and South Africa and reaffirmed their commitment to further develop the bilateral strategic partnership, noting, in particular, their readiness to expand trade, economic and humanitarian cooperation, as well as joint COVID-19 response efforts. The presidents underscored the importance of continuing interaction within the BRICS framework and at other international venues.

At the request of Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of Russia spoke about the reasons for and goals of the special military operation to protect Donbass. He also informed the South African leader about the situation regarding talks with representatives of the Ukrainian authorities. The President of South Africa supported the ongoing political and diplomatic efforts.

Vladimir Putin and Cyril Ramaphosa agreed to continue their contacts.

Telephone conversation with Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron​

March 10, 2022
14:20

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron.

The three countries’ leaders continued their discussion of Ukrainian issues.

On March 11, Vladimir Putin will meet with President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko​

Announcement, March 11, 2022

On March 11, Vladimir Putin will hold talks with President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, who will be in Russia on a working visit.

 

[Benjamin]

Kremlin:

Greetings to President-elect of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk-yeol​

Vladimir Putin congratulated Yoon Suk-yeol on being elected President of the Republic of Korea.

March 10, 2022
17:00

The message reads, in part:

“The Russian Federation and the Republic of Korea have built a solid track record of constructive cooperation in various spheres and of working together on the most urgent matters on the international agenda. I hope that as the head of state you will bring about further advances in our bilateral relations for the benefit of our peoples and for stronger security and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia as a whole.”

 

[Benjamin]

Kremlin. Part one of a meeting discussing what's being done to minimise the consiquenses of the sanctions. Part 2 has not been released yet.

Meeting with Government members​

The President held a videoconference meeting with Government members.

March 10, 2022
17:55

The Kremlin, Moscow

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino, First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Sergei Kiriyenko, deputy prime ministers Viktoria Abramchenko, Yury Borisov, Tatyana Golikova, Alexander Novak, Marat Khusnullin, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister – Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko, Deputy Prime Minister – Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev, Presidential Aide Maxim Oreshkin, Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov. The heads of a number of ministries, the Accounts Chamber and the Central Bank were also invited to attend.

* * *

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues,

Today, we will discuss a set of measures to minimise the consequences of sanctions on the Russian economy and the people of our country.

We communicate on these issues almost every day. I just discussed a number of them with the Prime Minister.
Let’s get to work. I would like Mr Mishustin to start the discussion.

Please go ahead, Mr Mishustin.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin: Mr President, colleagues,

Mr President, under your instructions, the Government is working to increase the stability of the economy amid the unprecedented increase in external pressure.

A special headquarters has been formed, which coordinates the activities of all departments, including at the regional level. We are monitoring the situation practically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the assistance from business leaders and expert community associations. Steps to protect the most vulnerable areas are being worked through sector by sector so that all aspects of operations in specific sectors and enterprises are taken into account as fully as possible when preparing decisions.

Our core goals include protecting the domestic market and ensuring uninterrupted functioning of enterprises by eliminating disruptions in logistics and production chains and, of course, maintaining employment. It is important to help the people and businesses quickly adapt to the changing circumstances.

Two sets of draft laws with anti-sanction measures as the top priority, that’s about 20 draft laws in all, and the Government acts that are necessary to implement them, have been promptly prepared. They include specific proposals for stabilising financial markets, supporting a number of industries, ensuring sustainability of the domestic private sector, and also proposals for the return of capital to Russia’s jurisdiction.

A draft law to prevent manufacturing shutdowns has been prepared. If foreign owners shut down their facilities without reasonable grounds, the Government is proposing the introduction of external management. Depending on the owner’s decision, this will determine the future of the company. In the process, the key goal will be to maintain profile corporate activities and jobs. Most companies are announcing temporary suspension of operations while preserving jobs and salaries. We will carefully monitor this situation.

As for industry-specific decisions, we have prepared a package of measures to help the IT industry on your approval, Mr President. Thus, all relevant companies will be relieved of profit tax liability and inspections by regulatory bodies. Of course, we will continue creating conditions to attract specialists into this sector of the economy.

We have proposals on supporting the construction industry as well. We will simplify the drafting of urban development plans and the procedure for holding public hearings on them, as well as registration of rights to facilities already built. We will expedite the allocation of land plots and extend existing lease contracts if necessary. This will allow the industry to maintain a consistent pace.
Regarding the interests of transport companies, we will assist airlines in maintaining their fleets of foreign aircraft. We will introduce restrictions on countries that ban our ships from entering their ports. We will try to level out the influence of international companies on the operations of Russian railway transport.

The tourist industry will also receive preferences. We will suspend the VAT for companies that build and lease tourist facilities or that subcontract operations to other companies. This will be valid for five years after hotels or other accommodation facilities are put into service, including after a rebuilding. The owners of existing hotels will also be entitled to these benefits. This is how we will support this industry and give it new opportunities for development.

A number of provisions will apply not only to small and medium-sized businesses but also to large companies, including backbone companies.

At this point, companies will need to adjust their production and logistics chains. This is why a ban was introduced on re-export to countries that joined the sanctions restrictions on equipment and parts that had previously been brought into Russia.

We are particularly focusing on agriculture workers’ needs. Agriculture is not only about jobs, but also about ensuring the country’s food security. It is extremely important to avoid a disruption in the sowing season, which is now underway in some regions. Agricultural producers will be able to postpone, by six months, their principal debt payments under low-cost investment loans, which they were to transfer to the banks within the next three months, and to renew short-term loans for another year to reduce the financial burden. In both cases, we are talking about loans with term expiring this year.

To cut business costs, we suggest minimising the number of redundant procedures. Pursuant to the law you signed, a resolution was prepared to renew the validity of licenses and other types of permits and to introduce a simplified procedure for obtaining and re-issuing them. This measure will apply to over 120 types of such permits; this is over 2.5 million permits in all.

We have also simplified the requirements for compliance with certain technical regulation measures. A moratorium has already been imposed on almost all scheduled and unscheduled measures of control, unless they involve a threat to life or health. We propose eliminating over 150,000 scheduled inspections.

Another solution is to postpone the entry into force of a number of mandatory requirements concerning businesses. Under the current circumstances, they cannot be met due to technical restrictions and the need to re-equip Russian enterprises.

We understand the scale of the transformation that our economy will have to go through to become even stronger. Maximum freedom of economic activity in the country, minimal regulation and control and, of course, support for the labour market will remain the basis for our economic response. The Government will expand import substitution and help domestic producers replace foreign products in supply chains.

Mr President,

We are working on anti-sanctions measures on a systemic basis. The existing action plan will be constantly updated based on developments and be adopted in stages and promptly. My deputies and the heads of the key departments will get into more detail about the directions of our activities.

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you, Mr Mishustin.

Clearly, in times like this, people tend to have an increased demand for certain groups of goods, but there is no doubt that we will overcome these problems in the regular course of business. Gradually, people will come to realise that there are no issues that we are unable to resolve.

Indeed, there are issues that need special attention, but I will bring them up later myself and ask our colleagues to comment on them.
Mr Siluanov, please go ahead. Tell us about measures to stabilise the domestic financial market.

Finance Minister Anton Siluanov: Mr President.

Over the past two weeks, the Western countries have basically launched a financial and economic war against Russia. The West has announced a default on its financial liabilities to Russia and frozen our gold and currency reserves. They are doing all they can to stop foreign trade and the export of goods, thereby inflicting damage on global trade. Western countries are trying to create a shortage of imported everyday essentials in Russia and compel successful businesses with foreign capital to shut down.

Under the circumstances, our priority is to stabilize the situation in the financial system and ensure uninterrupted operations. We have taken a number of measures to this end.

First, we have taken precautions to control the outflow of capital abroad. This applies to cross-border transactions by companies and individuals. We have established a special procedure for servicing external debt, including our national debt. We will pay off our external liabilities in rubles and carry out the conversion by de-freezing our gold and currency reserves.

We have taken measures to attract capital to this country. To achieve this, we have introduced mandatory surrender of foreign exchange proceeds, increased ruble interest rates, suspended the introduction of taxes on individual interest income for two years, suspended the VAT on the purchase of gold, and launched a large project on capital amnesty.

We have also ensured the uninterrupted operations of financial institutions. Their liquidity is fully guaranteed by the Central Bank, and regulatory requirements have been relaxed. We are ready to adjust our dividend policy to replenish banks with capital.

These measures have already produced results. The situation on the outflow of deposits is being stabilised and the amount of cash withdrawals has been reduced to almost zero even though they were fairly substantial just recently. The situation with the balance of payments is also improving. Current account receipts are balancing out capital flow.

In cooperation with the Bank of Russia, the Government will continue taking measures to ensure the sustainability of the financial system.

Mr President, I would like to say a few words about the budget.

Overall, the situation in the public sector is under control. Non-oil and gas revenue is expected to decrease, but this will be offset by an increase in oil and gas revenue. We will use this revenue to reduce borrowing and public debt in the current circumstances and to fund priority spending. We will coordinate our budgetary activities with the Central Bank. It is important to keep inflation in check.

Meeting our social commitments is a top budget priority. We will ensure the payment of pensions, benefits, salaries and other payments in a timely manner and in full. Medicines are provided as planned as well, including for children with complex diseases. We use the Circle of Kindness Foundation for this. In May, low-income families with children will start receiving new payments. We will earmark additional spending for these purposes in the budget system. The Government has begun to implement anti-crisis measures. Our top priority is to maintain employment and jobs, and to support people who need help under the current circumstances.

Thank you.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Here is what I would like to say. We have adopted very elaborate development programmes. Of course, we need to work thoroughly on all these programmes, I mean budget programmes at all levels. I am aware that your ministry, the Ministry of Economic Development, is analysing these matters under the leadership of the Prime Minister, and corresponding decisions are being made. Just yesterday we discussed this with the Prime Minister as well as with you. Nevertheless, it is necessary to develop additional mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of regional budgets. We are all aware of this, and I just want you to pay attention to it.

With regard to the countries that are taking hostile steps towards our country and our economy, we are well aware that they are calling on their citizens to tighten their belts, to dress warmer and are pointing to the sanctions that they are imposing on us as the reason for the deterioration of the situation in their respective countries. This is very strange, especially since we are meeting our commitments.

Once again, I want to emphasise that we are respecting all our commitments regarding energy supplies. Deputy Prime Minister [Alexander] Novak talked about this a couple of days ago. Everything that we are supposed to supply, we are supplying to our core consumers in Europe and other regions of the world in full; even the Ukrainian gas transit system is filled to 100 percent under our contracts. This may be surprising, but it is true. We are doing all this. Prices are increasing in these countries, but not because of us.

This is the result of their own miscalculations, so they cannot blame us for that.

The same goes for higher oil and petroleum product prices in the United States. They announced that they were shutting down imports of Russian oil to the US market. Prices there are high, and inflation rates are unprecedentedly high, too, probably an all-time high. Still, they are trying to blame us for the consequences of their own mistakes.

This is obvious to the analysts, because Russian oil distribution to the US does not exceed 3 percent. This is a negligible amount, but their prices are up. We have absolutely nothing to do with that. And even the ban on Russian oil imports has absolutely nothing to do with it. They are simply hiding behind these decisions in order to once again deceive their own people. They are already trying to reach agreements with countries they imposed illegitimate restrictions on at some point before. They are now ready to make peace with Iran and sign all the documents right away, and with Venezuela as well. They went to Venezuela to have talks. But of course, they should not have imposed these illegitimate sanctions in the first place.

The same will happen in relations with our country, I have no doubt. However, along with our partners – the ones who do not recognise these illegal actions – we will certainly find a solution to all the problems they are trying to create for us.

Getting back to what I started with, I want you to once again take a closer look at possible additional mechanisms for ensuring the sustainability of regional budgets. In general, things are stable and calm in the regions. I communicate with regional heads every day. I just want you to pay attention to this and support them in a timely manner.

To be continued.